Do We Trust Our Children Enough?
Robert Krulwich, NPR’s science correspondent, recently posted on his blog the story of a remarkable nine-year old boy who gets dubbed “the philosopher” for his views on the world, the universe, the question of free will and destiny, and more, all in just a few minutes.
Except, as Krulwich explains via his interview of the film’s maker, the boy isn’t that unusual. Bright, yes; extraordinary, probably not. Except perhaps in this: his parents have gotten into the habit of asking him profound questions and taking seriously his answers. His parents, in other words, trust his ability to think, to reason, to wonder, and to offer his deepest thoughts.
Watch the four minute video and then wonder with me about a couple of things:
Do we trust our kids enough to do this? To think deeply about their life, their relationships, and their faith? What would Sunday School or confirmation be like if our kids expected to come not just to learn what was taught them but also to think, to argue, to wonder, and to share? What would our homes be like if we trusted our kids enough to cherish their deepest inclinations about their – and our – lives?
Might it be that if our kids – whether at home, school, or church – aren’t surprising us, it’s because we’re not asking them to, not making room for their opinions, or not cherishing their assertions?
Lest we worry that this kind of intellectual freedom or attention will go to their heads, take note how many times the young philosopher says, “I could be wrong…”. Rather than feeding his ego, the freedom his parents have granted him has led to a sense of wonder that nurtures a natural humility along side a piercing inquisitiveness.
So I’ll ask again: what would our kids do if we set them free with the promises of our regard and attention. I don’t know for sure. But I do know that I am grateful that this young man – and his equally incredible/normal younger brother and sister – live in a home where they’ve been encouraged to think, ask, wonder, and assert. It has led them, I think, to the kind of creative and holy awe I want all of our children to develop.
Notes: 1) If you are receiving this post by email, you may need to click here to watch the video.
2) Thanks to Ben C. for passing this story on.
Maybe the key is just asking and listening without trying to “correct” the thinking. Go camping and stare at the stars for awhile and start imagining where we fit in this place.
Thanks for this. Too often we think that “Kids say the funniest things” (Art Linkletter) but they really do come up with some of the most profound and true statements. Maybe because they have not been taught to worry about “being wrong.”
Another great post – reminds me again that there is hope for the future. Thankyou David!
You and your readers might be interested in a short CBC Radio feature that highlighted the Grade 6 Philosophy Class at Prince Charles Elementary School in Surrey British Columbia. This is a link to the “Sunday Morning” episode – clicking on the “Listen” button will let you hear the 10 minute mini-documentary.
I meant to include a web link in the previous post. Apparently I did something wrong because the link doesn’t appear. Here is the link to that CBC mini-documentary. (You might have to copy/paste this link into your web browser.)
http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/documentaries/2013/01/20/little-philosophers/
Very, very cool. Thanks, Jayson!
Thanks, David!
Kids are amazing, beautiful gifts from God. We adults do not give them credit enough for being pure thinkers
Thank you for sharing this, David!
I’d like to share it with our Sunday School teachers and catechetics leaders so we can brainstorm about how to offer opportunities like this to the children and youth of our church family. We always have much to learn – often our children and youth are our best teachers!
Fabulous idea. I hope lots of folks are willing to ask our kids to think and wonder and confess more. I think they’re up to it! 🙂