“You don’t know nothin’ till you know you’re wrong.”

-me (and you can quote me on that)

So this weekend I was chatting with a second grade teacher-friend of mine, and we were talking about world events and kids. I gave my crazed ‘don’t freak kids out, let ‘em be kids’ speech, and was suprised to realize how wrong i was.

Yep. Wrong.

Nickelodeon may have reported the rise in fearful kids, which made me fearful, but that doesn’t mean that world education is fearful. I suppose it comes down to the level of intensity that is offered to kids when talking about current events (especially war). Assuming as much as I do on a regular basis (its my filler understanding until someone tells me how wrong I am), I believed that kids were freaked by hearing about starving children that are being murdered in far off countries. –notice my words there, ‘murdered’ ’starving’ etc. What it comes down to is presentation, education, and understanding. Present the information in a way that is honest, yet thoughtfully stated (avoid hard words like ‘murdered’). Educate the class on ideals and history and what THEY can do to make the world a better place. And then follow up with understanding– listen to the kids, let them express their frustrations, misunderstandings, and fears, and do your best to understand and show them your empathy. Kids need to know that we are listening.

What I forgot is how much kids listen to their parents in the car, or the fact they see the same news program on television while mom’s making supper, or the news dad listens to on the way to church. You can protect the kids as much as you can– in that ‘go ahead and eat dirt’ kind of way… but they still have ears. Ears that listen to every nugget of information, whether they fully understand your meaning.

When I was little, my mom used to make lunch & fold laundry while watching “All My Children.” Not a very entertaining show for young’ns. Most the time my sister and I would be playing blocks or barbies on the carpet, seemingly uninterested with the telly. Low and behold– what’s my second sentence? (first was “Ocko, go home” due to the wandering neighbor dog) My second sentense was “Look, momma, pa-mer not home” Yes, Palmer Cortland was not home. I knew who he was apparently, which was his house, and the fact that he was indeed not home. That freaked my mom out a bit. Kids. Listen.

So… while I still fully believe in the ‘eat dirt, climb trees, fall down’ mentality (see earlier posts for a clear understanding), I also believe in education and communication. Just do it appropriately. Be honest, forthright, and well spoken. And don’t be afraid. When you’re fearful, kids smell it and in turn become fearful. And chickens belong on the dinner table, not quaking under spongebob bedlinen at night, worried for the world.

“And I’m gonna always love you”

-Baby Piggy from Muppets Take Manhattan (movie)

Where are the Muppet Babies when you need them?

Muppet Babies was an innocent, yet cheeky, encouraging, imaginative, and promising show for children. Clearly, Jim Henson KNEW how to engage viewers WITHOUT force feeding them– on many levels of media.

Why is it important for children under the age of 9 to know & understand the horror and politics of the world? Let preteens & teens learn then!

Is it wrong to believe that kids should stick to being kids? Let them worry about the silly worries of children– like… if i eat a seed will a tree grow in my stomach? Children should worry about the weather ruining their game of tag, or poor Frosty as he melts in the front yard, not about nuclear devices in far off lands.

If kids stop enjoying their own imagination, is it possible to learn how to like/love themself? How can someone be comfortable in his/her own skin when they’ve never spent time in their own thoughts? How can we encourge young minds to think of the impossible if they aren’t allowed to actually spend time THINKING by themselves?

Should kids always watch television and movies in automobiles, or should they spend time daydreaming out the window? Should children have a television in their bedroom, or should they enjoy the time & play-toys they have? Should everything always be made for a child, or should we let the children make things for themselves?

I was standing at the microwave in the office kitchen today and I saw one of those tea strainers– you know, the ones that look like the Enterprise from Star Trek. I got to thinking– didn’t the Muppet Babies do an ENTIRE EPISODE based on the tea strainer?! And the answer: YES! An entire episode based on what the heck it was ‘for’. Weather it be space ship, microphone, etc– they had thousands of imaginative ideas for its purpose. Are kids like that anymore? Do they have time to sit and posulate on the purpose of silly looking objects? Or are they already plugged into some technology. Okay, I realize that the Muppets Babies were a television show– television being a ‘technology’. But the point is still there.

The best gifts I got when I was a child were– dolls to use as self-vehicles, boxes, holy socks (make great sleeping bags and dresses), shoe boxes (make great houses when cup up with scissors), cardboard bricks (walls), clay, and loads of time.

Please tell me there’s a Henson Hope for the future! ‘Cos all we’ve got now is Spongebob & Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends. With 5+ major kids cable channels (as opposed to my Fox 32 channel of afternoon cartoons), one would think that Henson-inspired magic would be bursting out of every outlet.

Oh, Nanny… where are you when we need you?

"Never doubt that a small group of…

…thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world.” -Margaret Mead

AHA! The benefits of online communities grow:

Virtual community, real engagementOnline community has a “direct impact on civic activism,” reports education technology expert Andy Carvin in his review of the Annenberg study, which I linked to last week…

BlogSafety Community: Virtual community, real engagement …