Let Kids Be Kids

Kids are cool! I love they way they look at life. It is full of wonder, playfulness, and adventure. We as adults sometimes look at them as little aliens…particularly if they are our own kids and so different from us! Come on, admit it. You have probably wondered once or twice if your kids were really from the same gene pool. LOL. That is OK. It is normal to think that.

There is something very weird about family dynamics. How can one child be calm and introverted and the next kid be a bottle rocket that is constantly lit up? Doesn’t it make you wonder??? How can kids from the same parents be so different? It has driven many parents into therapy wondering what they are doing wrong. The truth is, that is just the way kids come out. No two are exactly alike…even if they are identical twins. They each have a unique blueprint and it is our job as parents and educators to be able to read the blueprint!

I realize that may be easier said than done, but if you look at kids as individuals, unique, and full of potential, it makes it a lot easier to overlook the quirks and help them find their way. The world seems intent on conformity, and yet that is not how we are wired. Perhaps you remember being left-handed and being forced to write with your right hand. That is pretty messed up thinking! Let kids be who they were created to be. Help them find their natural gifts, and guide them without stifling their personality or crushing their dreams. Imagination is a wonderful thing to help kids learn. Help them keep their imaginations alive and thriving.

It is my humble opinion, but I just think we need to let kids be kids. Let them play, let them imagine, and let them learn in creative ways…ways that speak to THEM. If we do that, we are not just doing them a favor, we are giving them the keys to unlock a beautiful life and truly contribute to their family and society. Sometimes the misfits are simply misunderstood. That is one of the great rewards of parenting and teaching: helping kids figure out who they are and giving them the tools to make a great life for themselves.

There are three things that every child needs: 1. They want to be heard. 2.They want to be accepted. 3. They want to be loved. Maybe they are not so alien after all.

Shalom!

Daniel Skognes

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