By D’Arcy Maher, MEd, Director of Early Education Services
When I’m privileged to talk with early educators, I’m always amazed at the passion they express for what they do. When you ask them why they do what they do, you can expect several variations on the theme of loving children, being called to the vocation, and advocating for/protecting children.
Recently I finished the book Too Small to Ignore: Why Children Are the Next Big Thing. Dr. Wess Stafford (2005, 109), the president and CEO of Compassion International, clearly articulates four freedoms that he is championing on behalf of children:
- Freedom from drivenness, time pressure, and hurry
- Freedom from materialism—the obsession with things
- Freedom from corrosive competition
- Freedom from daily fear
Th eses are among the most vital gifts we can bestow upon the coming, vulnerable generation. Without them, they will be forever stunted, misshapen, and thrown off stride in attempting to reach their full potential.
Do those lines resonate with you in the same way they resonate with me? Doesn’t Dr. Stafford’s declaration sound like a concise version of what we need to be about? What do those freedoms look like in an early education program?
Freedom from Drivenness, Time Pressure, and Hurry
In early education we find ourselves in a unique place to advocate for children. Parents pressure directors for a more challenging curricular approach and value the cognitive achievements of children. Robin Stephenson, the director of Early Education Services for ACSI, likes to use this example:
Parents of young children can be impatient for them to feed themselves, tie their shoes, and choose their clothes … in short, to grow up. And then when the children reach age 12 or 13 and ask for body piercing, mature clothes, and sophisticated haircuts, parents want to know, “Why are you in such a hurry to grow up?”
Th e four freedoms all protect children, but the freedom from drivenness, time pressure, and hurry—in particular—protects the fleeting moments of childhood.
Freedom from Materialism—the Obsession with Things
Have you had the recent experience of helping a child create a Christmas or birthday list? Have you ventured into a toy store or the toy department of a store during the holiday season? Have you checked the prices of popular toys lately? When did electronics become so popular, and why are they so expensive?
My neighbor’s three-year-old daughter has a bedroom and a playroom so completely overflowing that they resemble a toy store. American secondhand stores flourish with donations, and we even have websites for the sale of anything used! It’s no wonder our children are obsessed with things—we are. Freeing children from materialism begins by freeing ourselves. (A persuasive book on this topic is Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World by Richard Foster [2005].)
Freeing children from materialism
begins by freeing ourselves.
Th e early educator meets this challenge by modeling a life free of “I wants,” having an influence on children that moves their focus toward the needs of others in an age-appropriate fashion. Living free of materialism, the early educator also affirms behaviors that are kind, compassionate, and unselfish.
Freedom from Corrosive Competition
Inside, children and adults alike are fragile, vulnerable. Nothing can so quickly destroy confidence and curiosity like competition. As Dr. Stafford (2005, 125) eloquently writes, “There is victory beyond the victory on the scoreboard. We can all compete, but we shouldn’t make it an end in itself. Realize it is a journey. Competition should be our servant, a mere tool to drive us toward excellence.” Well said! I also appreciate a statement that seems to be just for early educators: “Any failure includes some measure of success, and every failure can be turned into a success. Teach the children around you the delicate balance life requires between competition and compassion.”
Freedom from Daily Fear
I was a slow-to-warm-up child. Adults made me nervous. I had nothing to say to them. I remember the time my parents visited a church when I was around three years old. They dropped me off in a classroom where I stayed during the service—with my coat on—standing in the exact spot where they put me down.
When I began working with young children, I clearly remember listening to in-service training and having the Holy Spirit remind me of this truth: “The fruit of the Spirit is gentleness.” Instead of being intimidating, the demeanor and the disposition that adults need to have with young children should invite the children to interact, creating a safe space where children do not hesitate to approach parents and caregivers.
In Too Small to Ignore, Dr. Stafford’s (2005) account of living in daily fear reminds us of the importance of our role and the necessity to advocate for emotionally safe environments for children.
Reading Suggestion
The entirety of Too Small to Ignore: Why Children Are the Next Big Thing (Stafford 2005) contains solid child development theory wrapped in compelling stories and examples. In fact, the Christian Early Education magazine team is moving through the book together, following the schedule below:
Discussion 1: Chapters 1–3
In the back of the book, write down key reflection questions that are sprinkled throughout the text. Which questions will you meditate on this week?
Discussion 2: Chapters 4–7
After reading the entire selection, return to pages 82–87, and read the section titled Invasion of the Bureaucrats. Reflect on time and your own life. How do you interact with and respect the river of time?
Discussion 3: Chapters 8–9 and the afterword (pages 259–266)
What pieces of Dr. Stafford’s story touched you most deeply? How can your program provide checks and balances so that children are honored and provided an emotionally healthy environment? How can your program minister to adults (parents and staff) with painful pasts so that healing can flow into their lives?
Discussion 4: Chapters 10–11
Think carefully about chapter 11 (poverty) and your program’s responsibility to address the issues of poverty in your community.
Discussion 5: Chapters 12–13
These chapters contain compelling paragraphs about being a champion for children. What two paragraphs from these chapters resonate most deeply with you?
Discussion 6: Chapter 14–15
Imagine the role of your program in making an impact on your community through advocating for and educating children. Ponder this powerful quotation from pages 233 and 234: “What if we stepped up the requirements as well as pay for those (outside the family) who provide childcare? My goodness, in this country you can’t even clean someone’s teeth or cut their hair without securing a state license, which usually hangs in a frame on the wall. If dental hygienists and barbers have to complete a mandated course of study, how much more those who care for our children! And what about the salary scales? Don’t those who care for children, our most precious possession, deserve more than minimum wage?” Amen!
Consider reading this phenomenal book as a staff and growing together through discussion.
Final Thoughts
If you had to distill the mission of your life into four freedoms, what would they be? How would they inform your work with young children? Consider formalizing your mission into a succinct, compelling description that will provide a platform for longevity in your ministry to young children.
References
Foster, Richard J. 2005. Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World. San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco.
Stafford, Wess. 2005. Too Small to Ignore: Why Children Are the Next Big Thing. With Dean Merrill. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press.
Maher: What We Can't Ignore 7.4