Miss Mason says..."The busy mother says she has no leisure... and the child will run wild and get into bad habits; but we must not make a fetish of habit; education is a *life* as well as a discipline. Health, strength, and agility, bright eyes, and alert movements, come of a free life, out-of-doors, if it may be, and as for habits, there is no habit or power so useful to man or woman as that of personal initiative. The resourcefulness which will enable a family of children to invent their own games and occupations through the length of a summer's day is worth more in after life than a good deal of knowledge about cubes and hexagons, and this comes, not of continual intervetnion on the mother's part, but of much masterly inactivity."
Relax. Enjoy your children. And let them be busy at nothing most of the time! What they will learn through invention, innovation, trial and error and pure instinct will amaze you.
5 comments:
What a great post. I love watching my girls out doors because their imagination is at it's best. They make up so many games, innventions with twigs, leaves and rocks!
Thanks for the encouagment!
You always know EXACTLY what I need to read. Although I didn't "ignore" {my word} kids today, there are days when I feel that I do and this is what I need to hear. I am not their entertainment. Thought about you a lot today...glad I got to read this great post!
ah, yes, the theory of "benign neglect" often used at our house to get our kids to go play - together, if possible, but just play!
yes, thanks for that...
You are an amazing wise woman, my dear. Thank you from yet another reader (and friend) that read this just at the right moment.
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