Working with these wonderful human beings is why I am a child development major. They can be little bundles of joy, and they can be little balls of hell. Children are literally mini adults. They will mimic everything they see and hear. These tiny humans are miracles! Two imperfect people got the chance to create and bring a brand new life into this world. I think children of all ages are so adorable and I love surrounding myself with them. I don't get sick of spending all my time with humans half my size. They teach me so much about myself and about the giant world around me. If you don't believe me, sit down and chit chat with the next child you have the chance to. Here are a few of the reasons I like working with children.
1. They don't know how to be cruel
Yes, they say mean things. There is no doubt in that. Children have no self control and will most likely say the first words that come to their mind. Don't mistake their honesty for cruelness. Children do not ever mean to hurt the feelings of those around them. They simply cannot see the world from another person's point of view and their tiny brains don’t understand that their actions have consequences. Children learn how to be cruel and mean by learning from the world around them. It is not innate to cause pain to others.
2. They are the most accepting individuals
The heart of a child is blind. They understand age, gender and race but they do not use it as a standing ground to make judgments about others. How amazing is that? You are a 4-year-old girl and wearing race car shoes? A 3-year-old who loves the play with matchbox cars has found a new best friend. Your favorite color is red? The first thing a toddler will think of is their favorite object that is red and tell you all about it. They accept the world around them for what it is. They don’t try to change it. Now, if only adults could do this.
3. Children love to learn
They are rambunctious bottles of energy ready to explore the wonderful world surrounding them. Don't let their small stature fool you; children develop more in the first three years of life then they will for the rest of their lives! Watching children's eyes light up when they can count the highest they ever have before is absolutely my favorite part of teaching children. Telling a preschooler they are going to learn something new is pretty much the same thing as telling a college student about free food. So much excitement!
4. It takes a special type of patience to work with children
Children love to repeat themselves. They aren't trying to drive you nuts or upset you. They just think that what they want to tell you is so very important and they need to say it a million times so you will never forget. Children will do anything to get your attention. In the eyes of a child, bad attention is better than none at all. Always keep your cool and don’t forget to remind your child when they are doing something awesome!
5. Money means nothing to them
They have no concrete concept of money until late elementary school. Yes, providing for our children is so very important. My point here is that don't stress yourself trying to buy your child the best of everything. The best thing you can do is have meaningful interactions with your child. Love them and spend as much time as you can while they love your attention.
Children, to me, are the best kind of human being. They have so much love and innocence in their hearts. Take your time to understand them and learn as much as you can from them. You were that tiny child once, too.
