How much does the sky weigh? Who holds it up? Why is water so wet? Why do I like pink? Why do birds fly and why don’t we try? Has your child asked you a question that you could not answer right away?
Almost every parent has a story about a question that their child asked that stumped them. Childhood is a time for wonder, curiosity, and innocence.
We have odes, poems, tomes and songs that more often than not, are wistful recollections of what it is to be a child.
The paper boats we made and the trees we climbed, the highest we could swing and the fastest we could cycle, the puddles we splashed in; all become delightful memories of how we discovered what the world was about on our own.
And yet as parents and care givers we often try and get our children to get our children to fit in. As we become adults, we often forget what it is like to wonder, to be curious.
We are often afraid to attempt things we might fail at. We are embarrassed about how we appear to others and what others might think of us. Imagine if toddlers worried about falling as they learnt to walk or how their words sounded as they explored language.
Instead of indulging in nostalgia, what if you could go back to that place in your life?
You can – through your child. Look at the world through the eyes of a child and you can go to a magical world.
Explore and discover the world through toy train or cook a favourite meal on a pretend kitchen play set. You can be just the right size to be in a doll- tree house or the Rainbow rocking board becomes a roller coaster or just a restful space.
Every day should be children’s day. But as the world celebrates children’s day this month and we do so today, we can celebrate not just the wonderful children we have, but also the child within us.
Take a look at this wonderful world we live in through the eyes of a child. Instead of worrying about what a child will be tomorrow, enjoy and celebrate what he is today.
In the words of Shel Silverstein,
“Draw a crazy picture,
Write a nutty poem,
Sing a mumble-gumble song,
Whistle through your comb.
Do a loony-goony dance
'Cross the kitchen floor,
Put something silly in the world
That ain't been there before.”
Instead of telling them to remember the answer to a question, let them solve a problem in their own way. Go ahead. Rediscover the world. Celebrate your wonder child.
Did you know that the Universal Childrens' day is also in November?
Some of the other countries that celebrate children's day in November are Canada, France, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden.
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