How do we nurture what is innate?
Children are born into the world with an inherent sense of connection.
Anyone who has spent time with small children will instinctively know their favourite word. It’s always the same, right across the world, and is perhaps the most commonly heard word in early childhood in every language. It is the word "Why?"
All children (and us adults too – we were once children, let’s remember) are born with a deeply intuitive sense of curiosity about the world. Fingers in the soil and heads in the clouds, much of early-childhood is spent exploring the world with wide-eyed wonder; exploring with bodies, minds, hearts and souls and with that powerful little word ‘why?’ helping to dig down ever-further to the roots of each and every curiosity.
Developmental Psychology (and lived experience) helps spotlight the core capacities all children are born with; namely capacities of critical thinking, compassion, creativity and connection. These qualities are innate within our life-force.
🤸♂️Before we walk, we dance.
😚 Before we talk, we sing.
🎨 Before we write, we draw.
Before being shaped by our contexts, we are intuitively present in the world, driven by a sense of deep curiosity and innate connection:
Connection to ourselves: Most children have exceptionally strong levels of self-awareness and will usually have no problem expressing their needs and wishes e.g. “I’m hungry, tired, bored, frustrated, delighted etc.”
Connection to each other: Most children are naturally compassionate to others, with an in-built conditioning towards care. They don’t naturally ‘other’ and have innate tendencies towards helping others when given the opportunity.
Connection to nature: Most children are innately curious and connected to the rest of the natural world. Watch any small child playing outdoors and you’ll see this in action. Whether stroking a ladybird, chasing butterflies, jumping in puddles or climbing trees, the innate joy of being outside in nature is endless, infectious and innate.
The joy of connection doesn’t just apply to children. All of us feel good when we’re feeling connected to ourselves, to others and with the wider natural world:
• We feel good when we take care of ourselves and tune into our needs.
• We feel good when we are connected with other people.
• We feel good when we are outside in the wider natural world.
So my question (and lifelong enquiry) is this: What would happen if our education helped to continue and strengthen what is already innate in us all – supporting young people to grow into the world with a deep sense of connection to themselves, to each other and to the rest of the natural world?
Come and join me in exploring these ideas in more depth, as well sharing approaches to bring this sort of learning into our schools and learning communities.
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#relationships #connection #triplewellbeing #transformingeducation #consciouscare