How often do you use the word ‘childish’ when you’re criticising your child’s behaviour?
Child prodigy, Adora Svitak, thinks that’s it’s unfair to use this word on children and she starts off by listing ‘childish’ behaviours from prominent grownups that many of us have seen or read about, proving her statement that age really has nothing to do with it. She says, “The traits the word ‘childish’ addresses are seen so often in adults that we should abolish this age-discriminatory word when it comes to criticising behaviour associated with irresponsible behaviour and irrational thinking.”
Rather than being so quick to call a child childish, how about taking time to learn from what your child shares with you and from there, look into your child’s inspiring aspiration and hopeful thinking. While adults hold back on being over-ambitious, kids still dream about perfection and their “audacity to imagine helps push the boundaries of possibilities”. This is why they keep coming up with great ideas and so learning between grown ups and children should be reciprocal. Svitak closes off with the line: “You must lend an ear today, because we are the leaders of tomorrow.”
By Thina Mthembu