“That child”
” That child “
That child who is extra chatty: could become a brilliant teacher who loves their job and inspires hundreds of children
That child who is extra quiet: could become an outstanding therapist who changes lives
That child who is extra fidgety: may be destined to create great things beyond their desk and chair
That child who is extra quirky: may become a motivational speaker who cares about the important things
That child who daydreams: may become a wonderful and moving author
The list is endless…
The lights of individuals shouldn’t be dimmed because they aren’t in the majority, they may be signifying distinctive gifts which need to be seen, then maybe they wouldn’t have to spend their lives finding out they were perfect in the first place.
So many of us have to live a big part of our lives figuring out who we are, what matters to us, and where we fit in. There is so much expectation from different directions to be a certain way. If we don’t feel like we’re in the majority, we end up internalising that and wondering, “whatever is wrong with me?”. We end up not feeling enough. It doesn’t have to be that way for our children. Children can be accepted for their whole selves. If we didn’t see them as needing to act a certain way to be “good” and “successful” and instead just allowed them to be and observed them in their wholeness, and viewed their childhood as a chance to show us who they are. We could stop labelling them in a negative light for their differences, and help them make the most of their personalities.
This doesn’t mean they need to run wild over us, because boundaries are so important for humans’ well-being. But negative comments about children’s differences only delay their route to happiness and impact their emotional well-being, Whereas, these differences we see in them can be wonderful clues into the people they can flourish into, and this world needs their uniqueness.
Children should not be formed into some idealised standard, they will eventually find their way because instincts are stronger than any form of behaviour control. And there is nothing more beautiful than watching someone authentically fall in love with themselves and seeing the colours of their passion run wild.
Changes in this world start with adults, and how we treat children.
