Is Your Toddler Busier Than The Modern CEO?

Kanika G is a mother and the author of the Tania series of books, a series she started to entertain her daughter. In the Tania series, Kanika writes the experiences of a schoolgirl named Tania and uses simple everyday experiences for the plots that, though completely fictitious, could very well be true. Her daughter is her biggest critic and helps her with constructive criticism. Writing the books has helped mother and daughter bond and spend a lot of time together.

My little one comes home from school with flyers about classes and workshops. Some are about stimulating the whole brain, others are for music or yoga or craft. You name it and there is a class/workshop for it. Did I mention my little one is three? Sure I want to stimulate her brain, but we do that by talking to her, reading to her, arguing with her, letting her talk to herself, play Lego and make absurd structures, hold fantasy play school classes for her sibling. When we mothers discuss our kids we are proud to say things like “She is only 8 months old and can already stand.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking pride in our children’s achievements. But, in my opinion, one should not get insecure by the achievements of other children either. It is an emotional response and hard to avoid feeling it. But is it really necessary to act on it? How about a deep breath and a little perspective when we feel insecure? Just because someone learns to read or walk earlier, does not mean they read or walk more or better for the rest of their lives. So why the race?

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And about classes and workshops. Another mystery! Isn’t school enough formal education for a three year old. Shouldn’t she spend most of her time doing whatever she wants, so she can discover herself? Isn’t having to eat healthy, follow the dictates of personal hygiene, adhere to a bedtime and go to school for three hours a day enough structure for three year olds? Personally, I think it is very important she learn to entertain herself with made up words and scenarios, tinker, show curiosity, and satisfy it. Whatever happened to inventing games to stave off boredom?

But classes advertise in ways that attempt to intimidate and emotionally blackmail parents. Do you want your child to be left behind while every one else is getting talented or smart? Don’t you love your children and want the best for them? Then hurry up and enrol them in our class or workshop and we will make a genius of them in no time.

Recently, I have noticed, another great favourite of people advertising classes and workshops for toddlers is “90% of your child’s brain develops by age 4. So hurry before it is too late.“  Are they lying?

Technically, no. But what are they implying? Is it cause for panic or concern or enough of a reason for a toddler to have a schedule busier than a CEO so they can stand a chance in a competitive world? What does ‘90% of your child’s brain develops by age 4‘ really mean or imply?

As far as I know, it means kids learn motor skills, hand eye co-ordination, language, social interaction and possibly a little logic. In other words they learn to walk, play, talk, and interact. That’s the basics. Anything else you learn in later life does not compare  to how much learning is involved in acquiring these basic skills in such a short time. That is all.

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Much is unknown about the brain and its development and I am left to seriously doubt any claims that a few weeks workshop or some classes can create geniuses, that would not be geniuses otherwise.

In my opinion, it is good to stimulate the child, facilitate exploration, encourage fantasy play and interests. But is it really necessary to rush off to classes and workshops so early in life?

This is not to say that if a kid shows signs of some amazing talent, it should not be encouraged and nurtured. Sure give them the extra boost if they show an interest. May be even enrol them in an appropriate class, but do allow them to explore their talents in an informal and haphazard way, because they may learn or discover something no one can teach them.

Often great ideas, inventions and artistic talent come from self taught people. It is important to provide encouragement, resources and guidance and inculcate discipline to make the most of a child’s potential, but usually being self-taught is a great way to go. Children need to blunder through the blind alleys, persevere in spite of dead ends and difficulties and find their own way through the subject to develop confidence and their own unique perspective and techniques. This can lead them to stumble upon fresh ideas and with some luck even forge new discoveries. There is no short cut to genius.

I have nothing against a child taking a class, they are fascinated by. It might even introduce them to an innate talent they were unaware of. I just want to point out that one should be aware of aggressive advertising and assess that a particular class/workshop is in the best interest of the child before sending them for it. I believe one should not send a child to some class just because of, peer pressure, parental insecurities, or aggressive intimidating advertising by the organisers of the class or workshop.