UNDERSTANDING THE YOUNG CHILD

"Play develops intelligence, integrates our triune nature; prepares us for higher education, creative thought and helps us prepare for becoming an effective parent when that time comes" - Joseph Chilton Pearce

Many things in life are unpredictable and our children are no different. When we acknowledge this we can begin to work with the creative being before us and accept the teachings that this relationship provides for us.

In the Body

The young child soaks up all of life, from the sunshine to the moonbeam, the joy and the sorrow. In her book, You are Your Child's First Teacher, Rahima Baldwin Dancy aptly describes the preschool child's process: "The preschool-aged child is centred in the will and in the limbs, in movement. The tremendous growth of the first seven years is accompanied by nearly constant movement as muscles and bones grow and coordination is gradually achieved. During these years the child is learning primarily through repetition and movement and by imitating everything around her. Sitting still for long periods is unhealthy if not impossible for the young child, who desires to experience everything through her body."

In the Brain

While the young child is physically busy, his/her brain is in a calm state. Scientists now know that a young child's brain generates mainly delta and theta waves. Delta is one of the frequencies our brains vibrate at during sleep, and theta is the half-asleep mode we float into as we awaken. This explains why, during the formative years, children appear to operate in a dreamlike state. In this period, the conscious brain is mostly dormant, and it is not possible to rationalise with a young child.

Children under seven years of age are continuously recording attitudes, behaviours and patterns of those in the immediate surroundings, without consciously realising it. This explains why they may talk as if they fully comprehend logic when they are simply copying something they have heard before. These experiences form the foundation of their inner being, and it is to these memories that they return time and time again, both in childhood and later in life.

In middle childhood the conscious mind starts to wake up as children enter the alpha state. Awareness grows and they begin to practice making choices for themselves.

In Play

When we consider that the body of a young child needs to move and that their brain is in receptor mode, we can understand the benefits of play. Through the experience of play, children process information and learn about the world around them as well as themselves. Play puts thoughts into motion and so exercises the brain, creating new neural pathways and strengthening existing ones. These neural pathways will later be used when doorways for intellectual thought present themselves. When children play, the pituitary gland releases oxytocin, a nine amino acid hormone and neurotransmitter. Oxytocin promotes feelings of friendliness, caring, generosity and connectedness, all of which contribute to physical, mental and emotional well-being. A balanced childhood with enough play can reduce stress for everyone and may even save on medical bills.

As children travel through the stages of childhood, the ways in which they play change. However, creativity and curiosity are the basis of play, no matter the age. For example, babies and toddlers play through the exploration of body and movement. This prepares the brain for the next development phase. Younger children often play for no reason other than pleasure, while older children enjoy working towards a specific outcome. The world of pretend is a necessary means of development for those who are absorbing new experiences all the time. The safe space of play provides an opportunity to explore emotions and situations that are relevant to the child at a particular time. Children benefit by playing with family and people that are close to them. Play with a parent is critically important, says Howard Gardener, a developmental psychologist. He explains that a child learns to play, first and foremost, from family members.

There is more to play than games, laughter and physical activity. Play is a basic intelligence that develops the human being as a whole.

UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES

"He who knows others may have knowledge enough to predict the rain, but he who knows himself, will see with the clarity of the sun and moon" - Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching)

If the state of our bodies and, ultimately, the course of our lives was affected purely by our genes and DNA, we would enter this world as victims of our genetic inheritance. Fortunately, researchers have proven otherwise. We now know that the environment in which cells live determines their responses, and thus the health of the individual's body and life as a whole. Our beliefs control our bodies, our mind and our lives.

This flow system starts with our thoughts which, depending on the type of thought and the emotion attached to it, trigger various chemical reactions in the brain. These signals from the brain course through the blood stream affecting trillions of cells. In essence, healthy thinking creates a healthy body. This means that our life is not made up of random events but is powered by our mind.

American biologist, Dr Bruce Lipton, explains in his book, Biology of Belief: "Our genes are constantly being remodelled in response to life experiences. Through experience we gain perception and these perceptions shape our biology" What wonderful news to know that we do always have a choice, even in our darkest hours.

The Subconscious Mind

Our beliefs originate from the behaviour-recording system active in our formative years, as explained in the previous chapter, Understanding the Young Child. In adults, the programming of the subconscious decreases as our brains operate at higher frequency alpha waves. Thus, many of our automatic responses in adult life stem from what we learnt as young children. While the words may have changed, the emotional feeling is still the same. For example, let's say one of my parents responded with a sigh of irritation when I talked to them whilst watching television. Today, I see myself sighing when I am interrupted. If we find ourselves reacting in the same manner more...