The Value of Childhood

How wonderful would it be if we lived in a world where childhood was valued fully and completely as a time just as worthy as adulthood; as a time in the life of a human being just as meaningful and important as any other?

Often those of us lucky enough to spend our lives in the company of children – either our own or the ones we are entrusted to care for whilst away from their parents – will have a reverence for childhood. That is because we are fortunate to share in the moments of pure joy that can only come from a child - such as when your child starts laughing with every fibre of his being just because he feels happy and simply can’t hold it in! Or the wonder and deep concentration of a child when she sees a spider spinning a big, silver web. These are the magic moments that make us understand the beauty of childhood and, in fact, of human life!

And those of us lucky enough to know how much growth occurs in the early years also place value on this time. When we learn that the child’s brain grows more in the first three years than it will during the rest of the life span we understand that the foundation is laid during childhood that affects the rest of a person’s life. For example, the way a person builds relationships with others, the beliefs he holds about his own worth and whether he has an internal motivation for, and inner love of, learning. All of these skills and beliefs are either fostered – or sadly hindered – during early childhood.

So when we pause and take time to truly understand the importance of childhood, we learn to see the child in a new way. With this awareness comes a change in the way we communicate to the child. We realise that the child’s life doesn’t start once they become an adult.  It’s not about who they are going to be when they grow up because they already are perfectly intact, whole and competent human beings.

For more tips and tricks around caring for children, click here.

To find your ideal nanny, click here.