How can we support children to find the meaning in what they do, what they encounter and what they experience, especially when some of us as adults are still searching for our ‘Why’ We cannot live without meaning as it drives us forward and gives us purpose. For me, my purpose in life is to find and do the things that make me smile, laugh and be happy. As I sit looking across the hilly landscape, listening to the rain and the menagerie of birds as I write, I feel happy and content. Time stands still and I feel a sense of tranquil. You can’t put time on these moments, You can’t force yourself to find your “why” tomorrow or next month, or even next year. But we can search for some sort of clarity.
For children, the search for meaning can be sometimes challenging due to the many influences they have in their lives, whether its their immediate family, television, their peers, teachers or environments. However, children have an intrinsic desire to find the answers to the questions, their why or sense of self. When I think about this, I’m in awe of their freedom, their courage and motivation. As adults we can often give up or leave it for another day, but children show great tenacity and commitment to find the answers to their questions. Just like the birds I can hear; they seem to fly without purpose and yet often achieve their goal. Subsequently, I understand the role I play in this, and that’s through listening and being in tune with all my senses wide open. As Carla Rinaldi reminds us ‘listening removes us from anonymity, it gives us visibility and enriches those who listen and those that produce the message’. I’ve learnt to listen more, when I’m with children, their bravery inspires me, and it invigorates my own meaning of life and time often stands still. TIME!! a valuable commodity, especially in early childhood, where we are often driven by tasks, checklists or our own schedules. Learning to listen more, truly gives us more time, time that supports children’s why and also our own meaning of life.