To School or Not to School
That is the question, isn’t it?
In our next two interviews looking at “The Soul Qualities of Childhood” with Wild Mother Collective, we talk about this as we begin looking at the range of 3-6 years of age. Spoiler alert:
“There’s absolutely nothing to educate for this age. Already, they come in with this deep knowing and presence and they have their own mission, their own desires that they are discovering. It’s just a natural unfolding…we as parents just create a safe container for them to uncover and be who they are.” - Emily Palmer, excerpt from interview.
How can we listen deeply and let this unfolding occur if we shuttle them off away from us? Where they get put into a group of other little beings, all doing things designated by someone else, none of them really being “seen” unless they are “disruptive” and then they are singled out in a negative light. (I’m sharing an example in the extreme, of course.)
What’s the alternative? It can be spending quality time with your little, delighting in watching them discover themselves and their sense of themselves within the greater world of nature and the home. It is a misconception that we need to be constantly “teaching” them. (That’s stressful.) We can really just BE. Be with them and bring them along while we do things that are interesting and purposeful. What sort of feelings does this bring up for you? A lot of parenting seems to be a journey of transformation as our little beings truly do transform us - if/when we allow for this space and openness.
Mama (or Papa), can you imagine yourself spending time with your toddler in this way? If not and you really do need to put them in “school”, not to worry! Time spent in awe and curiosity with your child can be a quality thing vs. quantity. Love them unconditionally (well, regardless) but mostly when they come home from school. Dedicate quality time with them so you can discover just who they are and what they need. Perhaps you will also discover what you need, what your own soul has been seeking all along. The seasons of early childhood are the golden years of discovering who your little human is and we can best accomplish that when we spend time with them with our own listening senses; free from our own judgements, fears, insecurities, cultural programming, etc, etc.
In the 7-9 years video, we talk about the importance of down time. In this range, three to nine years of age, it is encouraged not to fill up their days with lots of activities. ie, school, then off to soccer or some other activity such that they barely have time to eat dinner, decompress and get to bed at a decent hour. We stress the importance of sleep for this age range, from birth to at least age 9!
Within the range of 3 to 9 years are very important milestones as we will discover from these interviews. Viewed through a spiritual lens, child development and the unfolding of our little humans is a rich and heartwarming experience. And, can be soul nourishing for ourselves as we remain open to be transformed by our littles.