Arent Children Beautifull

yesterday, i taught gymnastics, and only one kid showed up for one of the classes. a "troublemaker". i asked her what she wanted to do...unschooled gymnastics, so to speak...which is by the way absoulutely never going to happen in the gym that i teach at. private gyms are quite strict. Anyway, it was really awesome to just listen to her and watch what she did. She was so methodicall, so smart, so unlike she usually is when fighting for my attention with 6 other kids.

What is the difference between children and adults?

children are more honest, open and blunt. they care, if you can show them when you need it, they are not helpless but know just when to hug. they are not afraid of their bodies or afraid to touch. they are inquisitive. Unafraid to play the fool, unafraid to learn.

Adults are afraid to learn. I have watched children learn, and they want to do it, they want it badly, whatever it is. Adults do not. they are afraid...to climb on a horse. They do not feel in control.

People say that children make dumb decisions without thinking, like running across the street when there's a car.

But who's driving the car?

I helped my mom teach a singing class for 5 to 11 year olds at Santa Barbara Charter School HomeBased Partnership this morning. These were all homeschooling kids... my mom has been homeschooling myself and my brother for all our lives... and yet the restrictrive discipline which makes school mostly a waste of time, in my opinion, is still there. Raise your hand... sit still... don't sing this song, sing the song everyone else is singing... The kids were having fun I guess... but it still just struck me as wrong. It's a beautiful sunny day. These kids should be outside teaching eachother jumprope rhymes, just singing, they don't need to be taught to sing. Sigh. I really think most kids don't need inside-sit-down-learn-this classes until they're 10ish. Most kids I've seen anyway. I hate it when people have to raise their hands to talk... -marina