Daisy News
Gordon’s Gems and Guidance
The Importance of Being Little
I just finished reading The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need from Grownups by Erika Christakis, and wow—it’s a game changer! If you’re a parent, teacher, or anyone who’s ever been near a child (or was a child), you’ll want to check it out. Here are a few gems I picked up:
I just finished reading The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need from Grownups by Erika Christakis, and wow—it’s a game changer! If you’re a parent, teacher, or anyone who’s ever been near a child (or was a child), you’ll want to check it out. Here are a few gems I picked up:
- We’re overscheduling our kids into oblivion. As a society, we’ve turned childhood into a checklist of prep work for the future: kindergarten, college, career etc. Childhood is supposed to be a journey, not a high-speed race. Let’s slow down before we raise a generation of anxious, creativity-deprived adults who can’t handle a curveball.
- Intrinsic motivation > gold stars and stickers. Kids thrive when they feel motivated from within, not just because there’s a shiny prize at the end. Open communication, positive reinforcement, and helping them understand natural consequences go a long way. (Plus, it’s a lot easier than keeping track of all those reward charts.)
- Play matters. Not the “I’ll schedule 15 minutes between gymnastics and piano” kind of play—real, unstructured, let’s-see-what-happens play. Think mud pies, cardboard boxes, and pretending to be Taylor Swift. David Elkind’s The Power of Play is another great read if you’re into this idea. Bonus: It builds creativity, problem-solving skills, and social smarts, all while giving kids a chance to be kids.
- Talk to them—and listen (yes, to every word). Conversations, storytelling, singing—all these simple things work wonders for communication skills. Just be prepared for long-winded movie recaps or every excruciating detail of their Minecraft world. Smile, nod, and let them keep talking.
- Love them as they are. This one’s the real MVP. When kids feel loved and accepted, they’re more willing to take risks, explore, and grow. It’s like giving them invisible armor for life.
So, let’s remember: kids aren’t mini adults. They’re little humans figuring out this big, weird world, and they need us to cheer them on—not rush them through it.
The Hockaday School
Within the private school community, The Hockaday School is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls from grades PK–12 located in Dallas, Texas. Students realize their limitless potential through challenging academic curricula, arts, athletics, and extracurricular programs so that they are inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.