Cicero, the great Roman writer and philosopher once said, “The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn.” True, us adults deal with children authoritatively. As parents and teachers, we lack modesty, patience and respect when dealing with a child. There is a hierarchy of ‘superior' and ‘inferior'. There is a feeling that the child is totally dependant and can be developed only by the adult. The commonview point that the child develops only because of the adult is the standard opinion of many. We tend to take credit for our children's academic success and achievement. I, myself, have always felt that I've had a major hand in moulding and developing my children, that whatever they have learnt, whatever they know is because of me. But as we try to understand about the natural laws of development, our perspective starts changing. Dr. Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori Method of education, observes that from conception and during the physio-embryonic period (time spent in development before birth) and after birth, the child's development is governed by Nature which sets its laws of development. Nature has its own laws regarding what the human being should achieve, when and how. It is difficult for us to decide when we adults can and should take over the tasks hitherto undertaken by nature. “Supposing I said there was a planet without schools or teachers, study was unknown, and yet the inhabitants - doing nothing but living and walking about - came to know all things, to carry in their minds the whole of learning: would you not think I was romancing? Well, just this, which seems so fanciful as to be nothing but the invention of a fertile imagination, is a reality. It is the child's way of learning. This is the path he follows. He learns everything without knowing he is learning it, and in doing so passes little from the unconscious to the conscious, treading always in the paths of joy and love,” comments Dr. Maria Montessori who devoted her life to the study of child development. We should understand that our role should be limited to being assistants or facilitators to development and should not arrogate ourselves to duties which do not belong to us and which we are not capable of. We should take Nature's laws of development into consideration before we offer any help to the child. Help should be given indirectly, taking care not to intervene or interfere too much in the process of development. My children stand before me as an example of this theory. Both my children have gone to the same school and live in the same environment at house. I have brought both of them up in the same way, and taught them the same things. But both of them are different in their nature, interests and talents. Their level of concentration, aptitude and temperaments are different. Their personalities are unique. They have developed according to their potentialities and capabilities. From such observations It becomes evident that we are only helpers and it is the child who builds himself. Too much interference, and lack of freedom can be a hindrance in the natural growth of a child. There is a famous quote which says “Getting things done is not always what is most important. There is value in allowing others to learn, even if the task is not accomplished as quickly, efficiently or effectively.” This needs to be understood and implemented when handling children. Dr. Seuss, American writer and cartoonist, most widely known for his children's books, says to a child, in his inimitable rhythmic style: “You have brains in your head, feet in your shoes, You can steer yourself in any direction you choose, You're on your own and you know what you know, You're the guy who'll decide where to go.” The children of today understand this very well; it's only the adults who need to become aware of it and set them free.
