Well, they were right. All of those middle-aged ladies who gazed at my newborn babies, smiling knowingly, and saying with one eyebrow gently raised, “Enjoy them, dear. They grow up fast.”
I remember returning a smile, but not a knowing one. Just a friendly “thanks for caring” kind of smile. After all, how could I know what they knew? How could I know that eighteen years truly would fly by like a short weekend? Still, I did sense that they were right, and I dreaded the time when I would be in their place, caressing the silky cheeks of some younger woman’s babies and saying the words that had been spoken to me.
Well, that time has come. Yes, those ladies were absolutely right. And, yes, I am now passing on that strange but true wisdom of time to young mothers. At least, that’s what I hear myself saying.
Still, in the echo of my own voice, I doubt my own words. How can it be true? How can our daughter be getting married in four months when I can still see her seated on our piano bench with her legs swinging freely a foot above the floor? How can she be setting up her own library when I can still see her sprawled across our couch reading the Pickwick Papers? How can our son be leaving for college when I’m sure I just saw him shooting hoops into a homemade indoor rim? How can I be watching him pack his shaving lotion when I can still smell baby lotion on his skin?
King Solomon said, “To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV This season feels a bit like winter right now, but I know that Solomon was right. Change isn’t easy, but I’m holding on to the Master of the seasons who has all of time secure in His hands.
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Brain development starts at birth and continues on throughout the life of the child. The most accelerated rate of brain growth occurs during a child’s preschool and early primary years. Although children of this age should not be put in a situation where learning is forced or rote, experiences for learning at a natural pace with proper stimulation are important. Consideration should be placed upon the abilities of the individual child, for they all mature and develop at a different pace.
Preschool children are experiencing some of the most accelerated growth and development (between birth and seven). Although they can experience burnout and difficulties if rushed to learn in the traditional “school” mode, it does them a great disservice to withhold appropriate learning experiences from them. Their environment and the people they are around all day long should be providing them with experiences and resources to learn. Essentially, everything in real life is a learning experience. Through interactions that allow them to use all their senses, to taste, touch, feel, hear, and smell, the wiring of the brain connects through neuron development and structure. It is important to capitalize upon the things that interest the child as they interact with you and adults. Providing resources for them to create, and limiting their involvement with peers for the purpose of entertainment purposes also facilitates brain development. The more purposeful activities and moments a child experiences during the day, the greater the potential for creating a child with a well-developed brain and superior intelligence.
Daily life provides many opportunities for children. They can be taught to write using a stick in the sand or chalk on a sidewalk. Counting trees in a park and categorizing them into different types develops math skills. Cooking with them, even at the tender age of four, teaches them math concepts and how things work from cause to effect. Growing a container garden is a great science experiment. And going on a field trip to a historic park or museum can establish the foundation for history and learning about the roots of the country in which they live.
Learning is extremely important — and so is how learning is facilitated. Pushing a preschool child with workbooks, pencil, and paper is not best for a child’s young nervous system, but guided and purposeful learning in other ways is priceless. In the same way, passive entertainment like television or movies lulls the child into complacency and is not equivalent to learning experiences offered in real life.
Teaching young children through their senses, through movement, and by doing things that help them gain motor skills can be done purposefully, yet at a pace that does not push the child beyond his or her natural abilities. Make every moment and opportunity in a child’s life one that is purposeful and useful to brain development. Allow them to experience life to the fullest! Along the way, take a moment to thank God for the opportunity you’ve been given to teach your children about life!
