“Childhood is the fiery furnace in which we are melted down to essentials and that essential shaped for good.”
~ Katherine Anne Porter
As a writer, and I hope, a thought-leader on childhood issues, I spend a lot of time speaking to parents, educators, and other grown-ups. Today, I want to speak to the kids. Hopefully, some of their grown-ups listen in.
10 things I wish:
1. That the media stops scaring the crap out of your parents 24-7, so that they think the only place you are safe is tucked away in the house;
2. That the decision-makers get down to business with true education reform so that you have the opportunity to learn to LOVE to learn, and not just learn (um, maybe) what will be on a test;
3. That we “grown-ups” stop being so lawsuit happy, so that liability is not the first thing on the minds of educators, parks and recreation professionals, community associations, and other parents. I hope with all my might that you are actually allowed to play and have fun in this life;
4. That you realize that you have choices, and the right to make mistakes — and the world will not stop spinning when you do;
5. That your parents set a limit on screen time. I know, you don’t want to hear this, but trust me on this one — it’s a must;
6. That you learn to LOVE to read. Even if they do make a movie about it, you can bet the book is better. Learn to get lost in a story and try your hand at writing your own;
7. That you spend every moment you can outside. Check out the woods, the beach, the mountains, and everything else in between. Let nature awe you;
8. That you learn to be fearless, bold, and let your freak flag wave. I don’t mean live dangerously — but I do mean have the guts and gumption to really live and don’t be afraid to be yourself;
9. That you don’t get everything you want, that things don’t always come easily to you, that sometimes you fall flat on your face, and that you figure out (um, eventually) that these are all good things; and
10. That you get the freedom to breathe and the space to explore the world and figure out who you are in it.
So, that’s it. I have a lot of hopes and wishes for you guys, but what I want most of all is for you to grow up knowing how to appreciate life as the rich and fascinating ride that it is, and to know how to dust yourselves off and pick yourselves up when things get tough, because they will. Oh that, and to really know how to laugh — deep, from the belly, bone-stirring laughter. It’s one of the greatest skills you can ever learn.
Enjoy the ride and great good luck, kiddos. I will be rooting for you.
See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru
Could not have said it better myself. My personal favorites – Numbers 1, 3 and 8. In reality, these three wishes have a domino effect. If wish #1 came true, parents and lawyers would not place blame on things they hear from the media allowing good people to be the best that they can be without the threat of being sued! Whoops – now I seem to placing on the blame on the lawyers. It is not all their fault, I can’t forget about the role of screen time.
Thanks, Bethe! This one moved me to tears … mainly because you’ve given a voice to what really matters — letting kids play outside and discover their place in this world on their own. Thanks for being an inspiration to us “little folks” who are doing our part to encourage nature play everyday in our homes and communities.
Thanks for the kind words and support, ladies. There is so much over-guarding and over-worrying and over-scheduling…I’m just over it!
Cheers- Bethe
This is just beautiful, Bethe! You are so dedicated to kids. Your writings have helped me out this week as my kids head off to school, with brand-new “I don’t need you to hold my hand” messages. People don’t realize how limited kids’ movements are these days. It infringes upon their rights, I think.
Spot-on, Bethe…as usual.
Tell you what, I LOVE scraing the crap out of people…wait, that happens as soon as they hear my voice on air. Where was I…
You always have so much to say that makes sense. The problem is that too many parents simply don’t get it. They’re more than content to let Bobby and Mimsy hang out on the computer rather than, oh, I don’t know…..PLAY OUTSIDE!! I drive through neighborhoods here in Fargo – trying to find a kid playing outside is like trying to get a duck to dunk a basketball…random, I know. Work with me here.
You know, you need a bigger platform. Maybe I can hook you up with a talk radio host to chat children again. Let me make a few phone calls.
Christopher Gabriel
AM 970 WDAY
Excellent List! RT @balmeras: The Grass Stain Guru: 10 Wishes for Today’s Kids. http://bit.ly/156gCg #parent #edu #playoutdoors
Very good thoughts and wishes. But you need to take a closer look at smaller children. We start off loving to learning. Kids move for the sheer thrill of motion. We start off picking up everything we can, look at it, play with it, stick it in our mouths, see if it tastes good or bites back. We are born loving to learn. Schools and teachers can help us learn more effectively, can direct the learning (or can squash is flat as a required reading list), but we never need teach kids how to learn to love to learn. Unless the kids already had that joy beat out of them.
I recollect one Dad, when scouting out a school for his preschool son, said he was looking for “a place that’d screw up his child as little as possible.” Yup.
The ultimate wish list! RT @balmeras: The Grass Stain Guru: 10 Wishes for Today’s Kids. http://bit.ly/156gCg #parent #edu #playoutdoors
RT @CGprogram: Sensational post by @balmeras. If u have kids, it’s a must-read! If u don’t have kids, it’s still… http://bit.ly/156gCg
I concur — we do all start out loving to learn, and I have written quite a bit about that, school reform, play-based learning, and early childhood ed. I hope you will go back and read some of my older posts on these topics.
Cheers ~ Bethe
Check out a few: http://grassstainguru.com/2009/08/30/kindergarten-crisis-part-1/
http://grassstainguru.com/2009/09/02/back-to-school-pledge/
http://grassstainguru.com/2009/03/28/creativity-decorating-your-own-cathedral/
http://grassstainguru.com/2009/05/26/redefining-the-super-kid/
RT @MyGreenSide: RT @CGprogram: Sensational post by @balmeras. If u have kids, it’s a must-read! http://bit.ly/156gCg
That was lovely. I wish for all those things too for my kids and all kids.
Excellent! RT @ToddKashdan 10 Wishes for Today’s Kids http://bit.ly/gINUT (@balmeras)—such a good post! #parenting
RT @FreeRangeKids Instant classic: Grass Stain Guru’s Top 10 wishes for today’s kids (and their folks!): http://bit.ly/156gCg
Have printed this up and given them to my kids and husband – made us all think!
I love this post, Bethe. And am also really pleased that even though I’ve been away all week and missed the tweets about it, it came through to my email on Google alerts.
We still have so far to go but with The Grass Stain Guru and other major organisations rallying a call for a more sensible approach to education, play and nature I know we can get there.
*waves freak flag*
)
10 Wishes for Today’s Kids | The Grass Stain Guru http://bit.ly/1LpR7X Excellent post by @Balmeras May all these wishes come true!!
Thanks for all the kind words and for helping spread this post around, folks. I think it might be my most popular post to date. I am taking that as a good sign of change in the air for childhood. How cool would that be?! Cheers ~ Bethe
Well said! Why is this so hard for everyone else to see?
I love this!! RT @balmeras: The Grass Stain Guru: 10 Wishes for Today’s Kids. http://bit.ly/156gCg
@KamajiKat Thanks, Kat! That piece is a fave of mine, too. http://bit.ly/156gCg
That picture is me
and I agree with this, because I think these things everyday, especially when News and media try to scare my parents. They’re like that. They think nowhere is safe for me.
I wish:
That adults could see that they made it to where they are without all the rules and restrictions they’re giving us, what makes us not able to do it too?
(This is from a teenager’s point of view by the way.)
RT @amysout RT @tweetmeme 10 Wishes for Today’s Kids | The Grass Stain Guru http://bit.ly/3JvEw