One of the most fascinating parts about observing children is their indomitable spirit.
Have you watched a child learning a new skill? They just never stop trying to learn. It is a constant cycle of try, fail, learn and repetition of that cycle again and again and again.
We were fortunate to observe a kid learning how to stand up the other day. She kept falling. But, no matter – she refused to give up. No amount of falling was going to stop her trying. Her enthusiasm to learn was contagious. I was excited to learn something, anything, after watching her.
I wonder what kills this tireless quest for new experiences and learning. Is it parents who quash the enthusiasm? Teachers? Friends?
When I see kids hurl themselves into new learning experiences, I remember the quote – “9/10ths of education is encouragement.” What if we, as parents and teachers, sought to educate less and chose to encourage more? Would we see more instances of indomitable spirit?
I don’t know. But, it certainly seems worth a shot.
A Learning a Day 