How One Off-the-Cuff Comment Can Kill Your Kids’ Curiosity and What You Can Say Instead
I was standing outside our local theater waiting for my son to drop his little ones off. The children matinee, we were going to, was about to begin, so there were lots of moms and dads passing by with their kids.
A little girl, I’m guessing not more than 4 years old, stopped by me to examine the stone mosaic wall, I was leaning on. She delightfully ran her fingers over the pebbles examining them closely. “Look, daddy!” she called to her father, who was a few steps ahead of her, “This is sooo amazing!”
To this her dad responded, “Come on, it’s not interesting!” Obediently, she caught up with him.
“It’s not interesting!” echoed in my heart. I couldn’t help thinking how one off-the-cuff remark from a trusted and beloved parent can kill a child’s curiosity and brutally stab her imagination to death.
“It’s not interesting.”
That’s all it takes.
***
Let’s replay from the point, where the little girl calls out to her dad, “Look daddy! This is soo amazing!”
Her dad, who was a few steps ahead of her, stopped short and retraced his steps. “Show me,” he says.
She, takes his hand, so that he too can feel the pebbles in the wall. “Amazing indeed!” he exclaims. “What do you feel?”
Once again the little girl runs her fingers across the stone mosaic deep in concentration trying to distinguish between the different pebbles under her fingertips. “The pebbles are smooth and nice and warm!” she giggles.
“And why do you think that is?” the dad questions. The little girl thinks for a moment. Encouragingly, her dad asks, “What keeps us warm?”
“The sun!” the little girl cheers pointing to the sky.
“Right!” her dad continues, “The sun is beating down onto the wall and so the stones are warm. But, if you feel these stones here in the shade, you will discover that they are cold!” and with that he gently guides her fingers across the wall to a shady part.”
“It’s magic!” the little girl squeals, as she puts her hand in her daddy’s and off they go.
“It’s magic!”
That’s all it take.
It’s time to take control of our lives.
It’s Time 2 Lead.
It’s time to THRIVE.
