I don’t recall who shared this link with me originally, but this letter to teachers is just dead on.
Let’s start with the obvious: children are not short adults. A child’s job is to have fun, to learn everything they can, and to make mistakes in a safe environment. They have some valuable life experiences, but they are still gaining them. Many of them haven’t had many opportunities to find out what they can and can’t do yet, because they’re children.
The person they are in kindergarten is not the person they are in fifth grade is not the person they are in middle school or high school. Like adults, children change as they go through their life. Like adults, they may try on different hobbies and attitudes until they find the one that actually fits them.
When a child says, “Hey, I want to try something,” and it’s outside what they’ve done in the past, a parent (or teacher) trying to protect the child from failure often talks the child out of it. But why? Maybe that new direction is the one that will lead the student on to the path that will make them a successful adult. Why not let the child experiment while the parent (or teacher) is there to help them learn to handle either the resulting success or failure?
Children are not short adults. They should be given the chance to experiment within safe boundaries. Give a child a chance. Let them make their mistakes. Let them surprise you with their successes. Be a guide, not a bunker.
The future deserves that much.
