The statement in the above picture is one I often think about. It was written by Magda Gerber who was an early childhood educator in the United States and is known for teaching parents and children. When you have children you pretty much presume they will pick a book up and in time the words will click together and with support from you and teachers, reading will come naturally, like walking and talking. Sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes things happen to make it more difficult than that. In our case it was dyslexia. Something that has made us realise that the race really isn’t important. Having a childhood is far more important.
Childhood begins at their very first breath at birth. A child should be able to enjoy their time growing, developing, and learning all there is to learn in this fast paced world, without having to worry about getting to a certain milestone in their life too quickly. I feel it is important to protect them in such a way that we allow them to learn and grow at their own pace, if we can do that then surely we have succeeded.
We hear over and over again that times flies and it is true and I’m sure it’s true for the child too so let’s try and make it last. I now know from the road we have gone down with Dylan that children will naturally learn things in their own way and on their own time schedule. I watch Matilda play and like most toddlers she is like a sponge, soaking up every new experience.
We should be sitting back and afford them this opportunity of childhood by any means we can. A child’s journey should be filled with fun, play, music, and laughter. Children grow up way too quickly, before too long their childhood has ended and they are then faced with tough life issues and greater responsibilities.
Let them play, let them be children.
Dylan Thomas wrote ” Time passes. Time passes ” Time is the breeze upon your face once gone it does not return. Time is the sunlight on a childs laughter. It passes so quickly never to return, lost forever. Take what you can from these precious moments because ” Time passes”
I love this lots and lots and I may have to use it on a picture ❤️
I couldn’t agree with this more. I am so for just letting kids be kids. Sarah #FabFridayPost
Really lovely post. Too much emphasis and pressure is put on children to be academic. This doesn’t suit all of us.
I am a much more creative, hands on, active person and even now learn better by doing things than reading about it.
Lovely post. Thanks for sharing x
This is just like Dylan. He learns so much more from doing or listening. His favourite subject is history and I’m sure this is because its much more listening based than English and maths, also because that talk about crime and toilets quiet a lot x
Totally agree! Oftentimes I think we push our kids to grow up too quickly. #fabfridaypost
I love this article you have written. I’m dyslexia myself and I wasn’t identified until I was older. They thought it was a language barrier thing, but it wasn’t. I kept telling them but no one seems to listen. It’s great that you have listen to your child and that they have your support no matter what. Learning to enjoy learning – not a race.
Thank you very much for linking up with us on #FabFridayPost
Fabulous I can tell my Son about another inspirational person with dyslexia:) he struggles with it as a positive at the moment and he is very negative about it but I hope in time he will realise all the best people have dyslexia 😉
Thanks for having me it’s been a pleasure x
Well said and in this mad modern world it is so easy to get terrified and worry too much about milestones set by someone else. My oldest son has dyslexia and dyspraxia – we fought very hard for the right support at school and although I do not think it was sufficient, he did well in his GCSES last year. My other two are home-educated and although they may or may not be on the same path as school children, they do not have the pressures of SATs, selfies and a lot of the stuff that distresses children so much. I have to trust them to find their way and that is challenging every day but I must trust and your post helps me with this so thanks and for linking with Best Boot Forward
I have no idea how you find the time to do all that you do and home school, you are amazing! We are lucky that at the moment my son goes to a really good small country school and gets lots of fabulous help, how this will continue through to secondary is yet to be seen. As long as he’s happy that’s all we can really ask for 🙂 x
I couldn’t agree more – luckily I’m able to home educate my eldest child, but I worry about the pressure my sons will face when they are older. #BestBootForward
We seriously looked at home schooling but we are lucky to have a very small, very good country school on the doorstep. If we didn’t have that support it may of different story 🙂 x
#thesatsesh this post makes me sad and reminds me how harsh our current system is. It doesn’t fit my son, i know he is too young to be there. too wriggly in his chair, too innocent to conform…but he goes. Luckily he loves it, but the pressures are already on their way. Thought provoking piece x thanks for sharing.
The current system is so very harsh and I fear it will get even worse. We are lucky and my sons school is very small and it’s really suited to him. Secondary school may be a whole different thing but for now he’s happy so that’s the most important thing x
I agree with you that we should not rush time and let kids grow up as and when they are ready. #thesatsesh
Thank you 🙂 it’s so very important and thank you for taking the time to read and comment x
Yes! I love the quote from Magda Gerber – we must be so aware of the pressures we put on our children to ‘develop’ at the same pace and we must resist rushing through the milestones. I really worry about the current system in the UK and that we just test, test, test and don’t allow time to learn through play as much as we should…… #thesatsesh xx
Oh Hayley don’t get me started on the test system, it’s so very wrong. My son goes to a amazing small country school and we are lucky but the system itself is just bonkers. I feel another post coming on X
So true … the world does not be long curbing their enthusiasms — if we let it!!! Positivity positively!
Totally, utterly and positively agree 🙂 Thank you for taking time to read and comment 🙂
I do believe in the “Let them play” philosophy. We even take them to a school with progressive education. We love it and have sacrificed everything to give them this education. BTW, that tree picture, FAB! #fabfridaypost xoxo
Thanks Lisa, I’m intrigued to know more about the school your children go to, I will pop over to your site in a minute for a nosey 🙂 Think she was looking for squirrels up the tree 🙂
Such a beautiful and important sentiment and one that we all need to remember in this day and age of technology and hyper-communication. It’s amazing too how different each child is, even siblings learn and develop at different paces finding different barriers at different stages but so long as we allow them to bloom I think we’re doing okay! Thanks again for joining up with #BestBootForward.
They are so very different but it’s also difficult as mine have a big age gap to now look for things that triggered concerns over Dylan’s reading and writing. Everything now is so stressful for children, it’s terrible the rising levels of anxiety.
Thanks for having me again 🙂 x
Love this! I hate when society tells us we should be pushing our children to grow up so fast!