The Inner Lives of Children

Krista Tippett’s interview of Robert Cole is a gem.

I’ve often found kids to be prophetic in their take on happenings in the lives we share with them. Their curious natures are attuned to the questioning and storytelling at the heart of the great spiritual traditions. Their courage to express what they see truthfully and justly, even when others may try to teach them it’s best to look at things conformingly, is the spiritual fount not only for religious exploration and the growth of philosophical awareness, but also for scientific exploration and the growth in knowledge of natural phenomena.

There is personal power to be gained and effectively shared when kids and the humblest of “kids” within adults appreciate the mystery of, if not the answers to, the biggest of questions we can ask. We adults are often embarrassed by and seek to avoid mysteries we can’t explain; kids celebrate mysteries as wonderful companions for their curiosity. Even more than we adults do, they understand the world best through stories, not logical explanations–stories that have meaningful happenings in them–that dramatically tell the loss, hope, and recovery they experience themselves or see others experience.

Despite misfortunes which may happen to them or those close to them, when their vitality and good humor are supported by us in caring for them, kids learn to lead their own lives in ways that allow them to emotionally connect with others that are more fateful to their success in being productive and happy than the material means conventionally assumed to be indispensable to it. We need to give much more attention to kids’ “spontaneity and particularity,” as Robert Cole counsels, and to listen responsively to the big questions they ask. These are key to engaging them in learning who to be and what to do and why.

historical accounts of the resilience of children in wartime

Emmy Werner, an eminent American development psychologist, wrote a wonderful book a couple of years ago, titled In Pursuit of History: Coming of Age in the American Revolution, which captures the challenging and courageous lives of children in a time of war and social transformation–largely in their own words! For anyone specifically seeking a new way to engage students (or themselves) in the revolutionary time in American history or generally seeking historical evidence of children’s resiliency in difficult times, Emerita Professor Werner’s book is highly recommended.

Where Do the Children Play? (video)

Based on a song by Cat Stevens and video clips from “The Lorax,” muppetmeatloaf created this YouTube video which asks a very big question: Where Do the Children Play?