Little Adults

            We are working with little people. They are complex individuals despite their small statures and cherub like faces. It’s sometimes hard to treat children like they are equals but treating them as little adults gives them confidence and fosters more open connection. Children feel empowered when they are given respect and are treated not as if they are toddlers without much independent thought. Obviously this does not mean we should treat toddlers as though they don’t have needs specific to their age or as though they don’t need a few extra hugs when they fall off the slide. But when you work with kids like they are your friends rather than like you are solely their caregiver, they are empowered. 

             We took the kids outside to play in the courtyard that houses the swings, slides, and teeter-totters. Some of the children take to the play equipment like peanut butter to jelly. Others need a little encouragement. Others still are unfamiliar with what on earth a slide is. It’s a simple thing to show a child how to use a slide and how to maneuver the teeter-totter. But this simple action allows them to have fun with something new. They’ve now gained a new skill (they are after all, in playschool). They are then more confident. Beyond teaching them how to use a swing, some of the children need help playing with other children. Cedriono, the boy who finally smiled on the first day, has trouble playing with other kids. He is extremely shy and reserved and seems to be perpetually down. But show Cedri (as the other kids call him) how to swing on a swing and then bring another shy child to swing on the bench swing with him, and he will give you a smile. He’ll start to swing himself, maybe even talk a little bit. All he needs is a little push to be more confident. By treating him like he is your friend and bringing another little one into the situation, he feels empowered to play with other children and smile while doing it.