Our mental health is as important as our physical health. I read that children 3-17 are increasingly being treated for depression and anxiety. When you read something like this, you think WHY? Is it screen time, social media, lack of physical activity….?? I am sure that it is not a simple answer.
The article Children, Intuitive Knowledge and Philosophy by Dr. Maria Davenza Tillmanns discusses the belief that children are natural philosophers and that when we only provide them preprocessed knowledge in school, we take away their natural ability to question and learn about the world around them. In turn, this leads to children who find computer games more interesting than life itself and less individuals who can truly create and question.
I have three young children at home. They range in age from 4-9. I find myself examining and questioning how I am raising and educating them. We chose a school that insures that they go outside daily, they garden, enjoy art and study nature. They are encouraged to question the world around them, as well as to respect and preserve our environment. I believe that the reality is that children are natural philosophers. They enjoy discussing fairness, justice, beauty and morality in regards to them self or their environment. These are just as important as the rudimentary facts. Every discipline eventually moves beyond the raw facts, to develop insight and understanding.
Maybe helping children to not loose this natural inquisitiveness can help them develop their natural philosopher side. Perhaps, this along with their traditional studies could help reduce depression and anxiety. It would certainly create more entrepreneurs, creators, artists and inventors!
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