Part 4 of an 8-part discussion handout.
Uninterrupted movement time
The child’s inner teacher has laid down a precise timetable,
Both rigorous and exact.
We could never be so strict, so demanding,
as the child is of themselves.
The child is at work all the time.
There is no such thing as leisure in the life of a baby.
Even when they are asleep,
their brain continues changing itself
based on their experiences of the day.
To respect this inner teacher
Is to respect the wisdom of Life.
And the most commonly forgotten form of respect
Is to give them uninterrupted movement time.
Uninterrupted by whom?
By us.
Respecting the baby’s concentration
When a baby is doing something,
Studying something,
Engaging with something,
An act of love
is to stand aside,
and become an invisible protector.
When we stand back,
and just observe,
we learn so much more about the child.
Without observing,
how can we know what help to offer
this unique individual?
In quiet watchfulness,
we can learn so much.
The silent messages
When we watch,
trusting,
the child knows we are there.
Deep down they feel “I am trusted’.
“I can trust myself”.
The most common obstacle to a child’s inner harmony
Is us,
when we interrupt their engaged attention.
Sometimes by something as subtle as ‘encouragement’.
A gentle smile,
rather than loud praise,
can sometimes be more helpful,
if it allows their sensitive and intelligent focus
to remain
on the subject of their engagement
rather than shifting it
onto us.
Trust
your child’s inner teacher.
Next: The Low Shelf
