We know that children learn by repetition, in actions and words repeated over and over and over again.
Especially in sing-song and in play.
How often have you sung the same song, played the same game, or read the same book to a child in a day?
I read "Click Clack Moo" so often last week that I know it by heart; at least it is a funny story (thanks, Barbara Blizzard, for sending it to Gabriel years ago when he was born).
When observing children, we see them mimic our expressions, actions, words, emotions…
Have you noticed that they hide in the same hiding spot when playing hide and seek?
We played hide and seek the other day at the local park in Paris. The park is extensive, and nearly a hundred children play there every day after school. We gave boundaries to where we could hide. After hiding once or twice behind a tree, I hid by sitting on a bench. It took Gabriel a long time to find me. I told him sometimes something can be right in front of you, and we cannot see it because we do not expect it to be there.
Then, children love to ask the famous question, "Why?" Have you ever counted how many times they say it?
Or they will say, "Again."
Repetition, the needed, Why? and Again! To hear our response, to hear our choice of words, to hear our feeling, to see our body language, to understand the meaning underneath the meaning, to hear reasoning, to hear…
While playing with Olivia, I heard her repeating words in English. So delightful!
I made a game by asking her the same questions throughout the day.
As she is only two, she barely gave the answers in order, but she played joyously as children do.
What's your name? Olivia, pronounced, so sweetly yet unrecognizable.
How old are you? Two, and she would try to hold up two fingers.
What is your favorite color? Blue.
What do you like to eat? Pasta, Chocolate.
What is your favorite animal? She would make the sound of a horse.
But more often than not, she would answer most of the questions with her name and then say, "Encore."
Children are geniuses.
We were all of us when we were young.
Sponges for knowledge, truth, love, goodness, and affection for our loved ones.
Joyous and confident on the path to discovery.
There was a study by NASA on childhood geniuses:
"The focus was on young children, aged 3 to 5, as they journeyed to decipher creativity.
A group of 1,600 kids enrolled in a Head Start program were subjected to a creativity test initially crafted for NASA recruits.
The results were startling; 98% of these youngsters were labeled creative geniuses.
However, a follow-up revealed a concerning trend. The genius tag dropped to 30% at age ten and further down to 12% at age fifteen. Only a dismal 2% maintained this level of creative genius compared to adults."
Let us be mindful of children. To pave the way for them to be themselves in openness, affirmation, and love.
To give them a space to be inventors in this world.
Those little bodies, minds, hearts, and souls deserve our best.
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