WHAT CHILDREN LEARN AND SENIORS FORGET

Today I watched a program about developing human brains. The presenter described all that a child has to master early in life...the world around it, balance, finger and hand dexterity, safety, locomotion, logic and all those wonderful things they are too young to tell us about as they are going through their paces. We, as adults, have forgotten all about what it felt like to climb into chairs whose seats were up to our necks, try to eat ice cream with a spoon that slid around and couldn't pick up much only to learn that fingers don't do the job either. Learning to use flatware for a child must be as troublesome as a senior with arthritic fingers trying to learn to use chopsticks.

This whole concept, being shared by all the brain research being done today, made me think of the 19th C beliefs that children have no feelings, that they have 'good blood' or 'bad blood'. But children do have feelings and must learn frustration tolerance and endure feeling ill and in pain.

They need to know when they are sad and later to learn sources of comfort to gain the tiniest bits of independence. They have to learn that Mom cannot always be there for everything. Sometimes children must comfort themselves and they require the proper equipment. Sadness is great, indeed, when you are without your pacifier
in time of need. (Look below)

Soon after, children are taught how to go out into the world and beg for candy. This teaches them that they are special but, (thank goodness) for only one day a year
(except for Valentine's Day, when the Easter Bunny comes, when the tooth fairy visits, on their birthday, on the birthday of all their friends, when doting relatives arrive, and on Christmas.) (look below)


Begging for candy is an equal opportunity
sport for children








Getting around is an early problem to get solved. Later
he will learn physics, what makes wheels go around,
and hasten his desire to have his own car, motorcycle, or
any other mechanical conveyance possible.

This is early practice for becoming a 'big wheel' socially. Children must explore their world and both construct and de-construct as well as learn to avoid total destruction. (see picture below) This is their second lesson in physics (after they discover the law of gravity) which happens primarily in conjunction
with feeding time and requires

the household to be wrapped

entirely with waterproof fabric
as the little ones develop their pitching arms).





The great outdoors is a big challenge. Since children use their mouths as the laboratory for testing all things, gardens are safe places to teach them the joys of raw vegetables and where to find good fiber sources for when they are as old as their grandparents. (see below)









Along with having to learn to recognize safe people, who are friendly and who are not, children also have to learn all about animals, reptiles, birds, and all the rest of Nature. This is taught them by spending many long hours and days in Zoos, Aquariums, on Farms, and all other places in which they can observe animals while being somewhat contained by professionals who assist exhausted parents.

There are two varieties of children. There are those who are easily frightened and those who seem to have no fear. It is nice to have the former as you will endure fewer stares from people in public places who look ready to report you for cruelty to your child. In fact, the child is probably being far more cruel to you by screaming and throwing a public temper tantrum....all the while looking totally angelic (a clever ruse to keep everyone believing your parenting is inadequate.)

No childhood is complete without being exposed to the arts and music.
Early training in keyboard is an excellent way for a child to master some
theory and get their ear trained. The first great challenge is to be able to climb up to the piano bench. The second is to be able to put fingers
on that white wiggly surface and find
pleasant sounds without some nagging
adult saying , "Please be gentle on the keys."

This brief description barely covers a few of the formidable hurdles young children must pass before they are dragged off to Day Care, nursery schools, pre-kindergarten, then kindergarten to get ready for 20 more years of education so that they can afford to buy their own McDonald's rather than eat or work in one.

Despite the pressures of the world, such as their parents, grandparents, teachers and all the other adults who advise them constantly, these cherubs often do grow up to be rather decent adults and show promise of becoming admirable Seniors one day.