Sadly far too often children become who we assume they are

[Frank Bird III]

Bird Droppings March 17, 2012
Sadly far too often children will become who we assume they are

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” Stacia Tauscher

So often I watch teachers treating students simply as things in the class room, items to be dealt with when needed and or if needed. Looking at a semester end test score yet to be, a number in an electronic grade book, or a number to be attained through the curriculum map and guide, and this is one of the tools needed to attain it. Each day I hear children who talk about how much they hate their parents or parent and want to move out leave home and be on their own. I wonder where things went wrong. Why would a child want to leave home? Why would a child say they hate their parents? How and why would a teacher simply look at a child as a thing?
I was watching Law and Order Criminal Intent several nights back and a family situation was the item of the investigation. It was a close knit group of family members who were in effect criminals, petty thieves and con artists who moved from place to place following a long tradition of family code. They were a close knit family and one who broke the code of silence was killed by a jealous brother. The investigation finally came to a family gathering where the detective led the murderer into confessing. But as the killer was led away by officers he made a comment about the real family that was there even though theft was a basis. It was sort of weird in a way but I started thinking about how many families are dysfunctional.
I was asking my mother when our thirty first Easter egg hunt was to be. For thirty plus years we have held a family Easter egg hunt. All the grand children, great grandchildren and even a few friends gather and it is sort of fun watching twenty and now thirty year olds hunting for eggs with several now having their own kids hunting.

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance?” Franklin P. Jones

I have been told many times I have patience dealing with students who many times have issues that drive other teachers up the wall. But it is from my students I learn to be patient by observing and listening. It seems when you listen calm occurs.

“Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music.” William Stafford

Reading this and I was immediately thinking of a picture and a video of my granddaughter dancing up a storm. My daughter in-law posted a photo just a few days ago with a caption about her dancing. The picture is almost too cute to describe she has a bottle in one hand and a squeezable fruit container in the other and sunglasses dancing away.
I had several four year olds in my room to see the zoo that is my room the other day. As I was listening to these little ones it is always quite a treat. Listening to and seeing what questions and answers they come up with it often surprises me. We talked about snakes, lizards and my ostrich eggs from the Kalahari Desert. We looked at a bird cage used by deep rock miners to house a canary to show when poisonous gas levels became too much for miners to bear. But how do you get the bird out? Was the question asked by a four year old and I showed the kids how the cage had a door so the canary could come out each night as the miners returned home.

“If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all” Pearl S. Buck

I read news and articles each how this person is expecting to get off and in one situation while on trial for money issues in a campaign coming to Washington for a lobbyist meeting. It is amazing how our system works. I recall a news story back a few years ago of the sale of port duties would be halted and sold to an American firm and then Halliburton’s name came up, since they have moved their headquarters to Dubai from Houston it was almost a joke on the news yet realistically possible and sad.

“You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to do but skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

I wish I had the energy I had when I was young to be able to go dawn to dusk and maybe grab a meal somewhere along the way. I remember as a kid we would be fighting wars and battles in a world of imagination, playing football or just looking about searching creeks and streams for salamanders and fishing with my cousin for creek suckers and minnows under bridges many years ago.

“Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they're going to catch you in next.” Franklin P. Jones

Kids can see through most anything and know far beyond anything we do perhaps it is their honesty and innocence. It could be we tend to provide far too many inconsistencies.

“Children make you want to start life over.” Muhammad Ali

It is so true, as I sat there talking and playing with four year olds we played with puppets and stuffed animals read a few facts in a book while we discuss various animals. It added about ten years to my life in only a few moments.

“There was never a child so lovely, but his mother was glad to get him to sleep.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I recall a grandmothers rationale on grandchildren and why they are so great, “you can send them home at the end of the day” was her response. A good friend just gave birth to her first child and I know she will be a great mother. Several times she made comments about how she wasn’t sure looking back at her own life. It is in the questioning I see answers. When the moment comes for each of us as parents and grandparents we know and we do our best. There will be times anger will creep in but it is a phone call away and soon it dissipates. Please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts and please always give thanks.
namaste
bird