The gospel of Matthew (19: 13-15) recounts moments when Jesus welcomed children with warmth and love saying “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs”. In the chapter of Daniel Goleman’s book Social Intelligence entitled Nurturing Nature, we are reminded of the importance of nurturing the growing brain so that the kingdom of heaven here on earth will be theirs.
There was a time when science believed a child’s brain stopped growing early in life and that the time to impact personality occurred in that small window of time while a child was less than five years old. Recent medical technology now shows that the human brain continues to grow and develop into young adulthood. As a child interacts with people the brain responds. With every interaction a child’s brain forms connections and the wiring in the brain grows like branches on a tree. As connections are made and nurtured these connections strengthen. Unused connections are pruned.
For adults, this knowledge is a call to attune to the needs of children and to support environments for positive brain growth and wiring. Some may mistakenly believe that this means we need to protect children from all of the harms in this world. Children need to learn to deal with the good and the bad in a secure environment where mistakes can be learned from. Adults can model appropriate reactions to stressful situations and disappointment so that children learn how to deal with such situations. As children learn from these situations their brains adapt and build resiliency: the ability to bounce back in stressful times.
An African proverb enlightens us saying “It takes a village to raise a child”. The Christian village will reflect God’s love and help our children to grow in a nurturing environment. We may never know the full effect of our relationships with children. We may not understand what our words - or a hug or a smile - may change for a child. But as living examples of God’s love in this world it is important that we demonstrate to children how important they are to each of us.
There was a time when science believed a child’s brain stopped growing early in life and that the time to impact personality occurred in that small window of time while a child was less than five years old. Recent medical technology now shows that the human brain continues to grow and develop into young adulthood. As a child interacts with people the brain responds. With every interaction a child’s brain forms connections and the wiring in the brain grows like branches on a tree. As connections are made and nurtured these connections strengthen. Unused connections are pruned.
For adults, this knowledge is a call to attune to the needs of children and to support environments for positive brain growth and wiring. Some may mistakenly believe that this means we need to protect children from all of the harms in this world. Children need to learn to deal with the good and the bad in a secure environment where mistakes can be learned from. Adults can model appropriate reactions to stressful situations and disappointment so that children learn how to deal with such situations. As children learn from these situations their brains adapt and build resiliency: the ability to bounce back in stressful times.
An African proverb enlightens us saying “It takes a village to raise a child”. The Christian village will reflect God’s love and help our children to grow in a nurturing environment. We may never know the full effect of our relationships with children. We may not understand what our words - or a hug or a smile - may change for a child. But as living examples of God’s love in this world it is important that we demonstrate to children how important they are to each of us.
Take up the challenge and become God’s light in the world of a child, today.
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