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Another Essential Early Meal

By Erum Qurban Ali

Can we ignore giving food to our children? Can we imagine a single day with no meals for our children? I’m sure every parent will say “No”. But just imagine, how often we ignore psychological essential meals that children need in their early years? Have you ever observed an adult and wondered that why he/she the way is? Or why one in his/her adult life feels so blessed comparative to other person, while the two are blessed with same blessings? Or, why some people have complete personalities while the others have major or minor negative personality traits? If you have not thought of these things earlier so I would assure spending some time on these will help you help your children in developing their personalities.

Evolving brain researches put key emphasis on early childhood experiences. "If you want to significantly influence a child's ability to think and to acquire knowledge, the early childhood years are very critical" said neurobiologist Petter Huttenlocher in Inside the Brain by Ronald Kotulak.

Being a nursing student, I have encountered many patients; many at times, the patients who were also parents shared with me that their children lack confidence or they are not caring or cooperative or they are not the way we want them to be. Upon asking, I learnt that these parents were actually those working parents who do not give quality time and attention to their children and who think that in the early years the children need nothing except food and shelter; unluckily, these parents miss such an essential period of their children where they could feed every lesson with great ease.

According to Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, mind absorbing impressions from the environment is known as “Absorbent Mind”. The child, when born, is just like an empty vessel waiting to be filled. They absorb their environment without any discrimination. During infancy, that is from 0-6 years, child absorbs his environment and that absorption remains forever i.e. locked in his memory forever. For understanding the clear concept of absorbent mind, it is vital to know that the period of absorbent mind is divided into two stages: 0-3 years is a period of child’s unconscious absorbent mind, while 3-6 years is a period of child’s conscious absorbent mind.

During the first stage of absorbent mind, he/she absorbs everything just like a sponge that absorbs water without differentiating whether it’s clean or dirty. While in the second stage, the child absorbs impressions from the environment consciously, just like a painter who doesn’t paint the whole scenery, but only the things that he/she likes from the scene.

Dr. Maria Montessori further reveals that the child’s absorbent mind that is up to the age of six years has the extended powers that help the child during his/her physical, mental and spiritual development. Everything in the child’s environment, his/her every experience is assimilated into the personality and character of the child. Because of this principle, there is always a need for a prepared environment that is filled with interesting and invited lessons that are also beautiful and pleasing to the young child.

As absorbent mind is such a critical stage in a child’s life, every parent should make certain efforts to nourish their children as a whole. You can provide your child with hands-on materials and experiences that refine their senses in their every day environment. Giving your child the opportunity to participate in day to day activities -- for example, cooking dinner, watering household plants, making their bed, filling a bird feeder -- are just a few examples of the kinds of experiences that engage a young child's mind and body. Active participation in life gives the child the opportunity to think logically and sequencing the steps needed to perform a given task. Each task completed builds self esteem. When the child's mind and body are active, his/her intellect is able to develop fully. Allow your children to explore the world around them, follow their interests, and learn how to delve into new experiences.

These above mentioned strategies are not impossible or very difficult to apply in our daily lives; this little more effort will help our children to develop and nourish their personalities and will also give us inner satisfaction that we are not least concerned about these young fellows which are not less than any overly delicated developing creature of the world.

In sum, the early six years of a child is a period of absorbent mind. The parents play a significant role in facilitating their children and providing them with either positive or negative impressions that will be absorbed in their personalities forever.

Remember, rather than being sensitive to claiming others' negative personality traits, it is more healthy and joyous to shape and mold the new beings with positive and adorable qualities.