Our children are learning
I HAVE read a range of news reports about the importance of getting kids back to school.
Some fearmongers suggest children will be significantly disadvantaged by missing weeks of school, that they will “fall behind” in tests and rankings.
It has made me think about what children might be learning at this time. Because, children haven’t stopped learning.
The critical factor in learning across childhoods and lifespans is relationships. As adults we can look back over our lives and see that our relationships with significant people have shaped us and our characters.
Similarly, our children are learning through their relationships with us, as they observe us and spend time with us. Through relationships they are working out their sense of place and their sense of self.
They are learning about trust, emotions, complexity and connection. Our relationships with our children will shape who they become.
Whether our children are attending school or not they are learning, and the curriculum is much more than content. The curriculum is “everything that happens in a day”.
During these surreal and stressful times children are learning life skills and they are learning about life.
They are learning through their interactions with us. They are learning about fear and anxiety and how different people react and cope.
They are learning about resilience, about ways people take care of themselves, the value of getting enough rest and sleep, of spending time in nature, the benefits of a pet, a routine and a positive attitude.
They are learning about how to adapt to challenges and uncertainties and the importance of playfulness, creativity and curiosity for reducing the experience of stress.
Our children and young people are learning about themselves, and how to be with themselves.
They are learning about technology, its limitations and its value. They are learning about time, about how time can be experienced.
They are learning about how competent and capable they are, about their ability to solve problems and the coping strategies they have and need to develop.
They are learning about frustration, stress, and mental health and the value of kindness, care, friendships and support networks.
They are learning all this from us.