“Hurry. Get that done!”
“Quickly -don’t waste time!”
“Get a move on!”
“Just get it done!”
“No time for that. Move on!”
“Now! I said NOW!”
How often do we say similar words?
No wonder kids are spinning with no ability to stop, focus and slow down enough to try their hardest.
Why the need for this crazy pace?
Does speed add to the quality of life?
I doubt it!
We jerk our kids like puppets on strings and give them no time to play, reflect, think or daydream and them we act surprised when they show symptoms of ADHD! Then of course we often drug them.
Martin Whitely wrote an excellent book about this:
http://speedupsitstill.com/
I watch the new children at my centre work at a very fast pace and throw down their pencils, “Finished Vicky! What do I do next?”
I don’t have to tell them.
The regulars look up and answer patiently, “You daydream. It makes you smarter.” (This comes from a famous story from Einstein.)
We actually have to demonstrate HOW to daydream. Can you believe that? These kids have lost that ability!
Some years ago I told an EQ4KIDZ group of children in Singapore that they had all passed the course and could finish their workbooks at home in their spare time.
One child looked at me in a puzzled manner and asked, “What’s spare time?” He speaks English all the time and understands “spare” and “time” but has never seen or imagined how these concepts could be joined together!
It is NOT OK at keep treating our children in this way. Their lives do not need to be stuffed full of endless activities. They need more of the verb “To be.”
Let’s all put some empty spaces in our schedules this week- for ourselves and for our children.
Our minds, bodies and spirits will thank us.
Check out the link below for more ideas.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fixing-families/201101/the-frazzled-child-9-reasons-slow-down
