Robert Fulghum wrote a monster best seller called All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten that was published in the 1980s. Fulghum's book suggests that we do learn a great deal of important simple things when we are young-and we should hang onto them. Even in the most complex of times, these simple truths are important.
Of course, kids may disregard basic principles that they are taught in the normal course of a day. They may not accept them or just refuse to believe them. Parents and teachers know that repetition is key, but sometimes it seems to take a village to convince kids of the simplest of truths.
There is a popular television commercial in which an attractive young woman chats with an insurance agent out on the street as he is using a mobile application to take care of some business. Despite the fact that the agent is using the app right in front of the woman, she "knows" that there is no such app because she heard it on the Internet. Seconds later, the conversation turns to the woman's date who is coming towards them on the street. He is a dumpy-looking bearded man that she insists is a French model. Where did she meet him? She met him on the Internet, of course. The French "model" greets her with a dreadfully pronounced "bonjour" and the audience knows that the man is no French model. This woman will learn her lesson in the school of hard knocks.
Parents often feel like the insurance agent as they attempt to instruct their children. Yet, adults know that in many situations, kids have to learn by experience. But do kids have to learn everything from the school of hard knocks? No.
In many cases, kids can learn something quickly in an activity they love, where the learning comes easy, and apply it to other circumstances where learning comes hard. Oh, the power of metaphor!
For example, kids often accept lessons they learn from sports. In the annals of baseball, there is something called the 10 Commandments of Baseball-a list of baseball principles that are taught in little league. Principles like "run them out," "never quit," "respect authority," and "maintain self-control" are the essence of these commandments that were written back in 1921 by legendary manager Joe McCarthy. Although most coaches do not know the origin of these principles, they still teach them today. Kids need to be reminded of their application to their life outside of sports.
A child who studies ballet or has a part in the school play will learn the importance of practice, taking instructions, proper exercise, diet, sleep, etc. These are all seemingly basic common sense kinds of truths, but they take hold when tied to something the child loves. But the parent, teacher, or coach will need to help the child "connect the dots" to see how the lessons learned in these pursuits can be applied to other activities as well.
Of course, kids may disregard basic principles that they are taught in the normal course of a day. They may not accept them or just refuse to believe them. Parents and teachers know that repetition is key, but sometimes it seems to take a village to convince kids of the simplest of truths.
There is a popular television commercial in which an attractive young woman chats with an insurance agent out on the street as he is using a mobile application to take care of some business. Despite the fact that the agent is using the app right in front of the woman, she "knows" that there is no such app because she heard it on the Internet. Seconds later, the conversation turns to the woman's date who is coming towards them on the street. He is a dumpy-looking bearded man that she insists is a French model. Where did she meet him? She met him on the Internet, of course. The French "model" greets her with a dreadfully pronounced "bonjour" and the audience knows that the man is no French model. This woman will learn her lesson in the school of hard knocks.
Parents often feel like the insurance agent as they attempt to instruct their children. Yet, adults know that in many situations, kids have to learn by experience. But do kids have to learn everything from the school of hard knocks? No.
In many cases, kids can learn something quickly in an activity they love, where the learning comes easy, and apply it to other circumstances where learning comes hard. Oh, the power of metaphor!
For example, kids often accept lessons they learn from sports. In the annals of baseball, there is something called the 10 Commandments of Baseball-a list of baseball principles that are taught in little league. Principles like "run them out," "never quit," "respect authority," and "maintain self-control" are the essence of these commandments that were written back in 1921 by legendary manager Joe McCarthy. Although most coaches do not know the origin of these principles, they still teach them today. Kids need to be reminded of their application to their life outside of sports.
A child who studies ballet or has a part in the school play will learn the importance of practice, taking instructions, proper exercise, diet, sleep, etc. These are all seemingly basic common sense kinds of truths, but they take hold when tied to something the child loves. But the parent, teacher, or coach will need to help the child "connect the dots" to see how the lessons learned in these pursuits can be applied to other activities as well.
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