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Reconstructing Adult/Child Relationships- part 1 of two

Reconstructing Adult/Child Relationships Much of the way our relationships with children are currently constructed is based on adult authority and adults acting upon children rather than sharing power and holding mutual respect with them. The labels of “adult” and “child” so often become barriers to connection, on a mutual or horizontal level, where people who find interest in each other and benefit from the company of the other engaged in freely chosen and mutually beneficial ways. What avenues [...]

By Elana|2019-11-22T07:22:51-08:00July 15th, 2011|Categories: A new Paradigm for childhood|Tags: Adult-child Relationships, Autonomy, child Empowerment, child rearing, childhood, connection, freedom, Parent-child relationships, Power with, relationship building, respect, Self-determination, Social Construction of Childhood|0 Comments

Age as Grounds for Exclusion?

Age Discrimination We have perceived children for so long as immature and incompetent that we have barred them from participating in activities that allow them to mature and gain competence in the world. These ideas are based more on our sentiments about children however, than on the validity of what children, if they are allowed, are actually capable. Age in and of its self is neither a measure of competence nor of maturity, but it is constantly used [...]

By Elana|2020-02-05T07:00:58-08:00July 10th, 2011|Categories: A new Paradigm for childhood|Tags: Age discrmination, Autonomy, child Empowerment, children's rights, equality, freedom, Self-determination, Social Construction of Childhood, youth oppression|0 Comments

Pursuing one’s own Interests

Pursuing One’s Own Interests The best preparation for a meaningful and productive future is a meaningful and productive present Too often, childhood is thought of in terms of preparation: “Do this now, even if it doesn’t feel connected to your most pressing interests and concerns, because later on you’ll find it useful.” Helping children to figure out what seems interesting and worth doing right now, in their current lives, helps them develop self-knowledge and experience at figuring out [...]

By Elana|2020-02-05T07:00:47-08:00July 4th, 2011|Categories: A new Paradigm for childhood|Tags: Autonomy, child Empowerment, children's rights, choice, connection, decision making, education, freedom, Matt Hern, Self-determination, self-directed learning|0 Comments

leave us kids alone… at least until we ask for your involvement

I am re-reading a children's classic-Tom Sawyer. I am struck not only by the high level of autonomy and freedom the boys posses in this book, but also the great degree of self-confidence, trust and self-reliance. The reality of structure, supervision and control of kids lives has become, for the most part, the predominate experience. Between sports and homework and whatever extra-curricular activities kids are involved in- when is there time to play, to discover, to imagine, to [...]

By Elana|2019-11-22T07:14:35-08:00June 22nd, 2011|Categories: A new Paradigm for childhood|Tags: Autonomy, child Empowerment, childhood, children's rights, Chris mercogliano, decision making, free play, freedom, self regulation, Self-determination, self-directed learning, Social Construction of Childhood|4 Comments

Freedom of Movement- Part 4 in series on body space/movement

Children’s Freedom of Movement The issues of space and the control of a person’s body also extend to the control of their range of movement. Not only do we invade and control children’s physical bodies/space but the way that children can move about in the world is often severely limited. Children have their movement restricted and are not free to move about as they please. They may be confined to a specific room (such as “the toddler room”) [...]

By Elana|2019-11-22T07:00:46-08:00May 13th, 2011|Categories: A new Paradigm for childhood, body space/movement|Tags: Autonomy, child Empowerment, freedom, personal space, physical space, self regulation, Self-determination, Social Construction of Childhood|0 Comments

Respecting Kid’s Personal and Physical Space- part one of series on body space/freedom of movement

Personal and Physical Space Personal and bodily space are interesting facets of people’s lives, ones that we generally consider the private and sovereign domain of the individual, and that the individual has the right to control and protect. Violations of personal and especially bodily space, particularly by strangers, is taken as quite a serious offense. Control of another person’s body, both in restriction of movement and in control of function, is quite literally imprisonment/slavery. While children are initially [...]

By Elana|2019-11-22T06:38:28-08:00April 29th, 2011|Categories: A new Paradigm for childhood, body space/movement|Tags: Adult-child Relationships, Autonomy, boundaries, child Empowerment, children's rights, choice, connection, decision making, freedom, personal space, physical space, Power with, respect, self regulation, Self-determination, Wilhelm Reich|4 Comments

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