Children Without Childhood
A famous Jewish playwright, Mendele-Mokher Sefarim (died 1917) forecasted ominously that "Children without childhood are a dark and fearsome spectacle." Indeed hurrying children out of childhood is causing children to make adult decisions with their little child minds.
In an interpretive essay on Jean Piaget, David Elkin, Professor of Child Study at Tufts University states, "One of the most serious and pernicious misunderstandings about young children is that they are most like adults in their thinking and least like us in their feelings. In fact, just the reverse is true, and children are most like us in their feelings and least like us in their thinking."
The recent school shooting of a six-year-old girl, Kayla Rolland, by a six-year-old classmate brings the message home. The little boy thought like a child but acted on his feelings like an irresponsible adult. His feelings were hurt and he took matters into his own hands. He made an adult statement about his feelings. His childlike thinking justified the shooting, but we know it doesn't.
Kayla had told her classmate that she wasn't interested in having a friendship. In return, the boy, who may have felt rejected and humiliated, sought revenge. The following day, he came to school armed with a knife and gun. When discovered, the knife was taken away but the gun was not. It was hidden and it didn't occur to the teaching staff to search him and his schoolbooks.
After the brutal killing, the six-year-old boy sat at the table drawing pictures as innocently as possible. He looked, as any little boy should.
Did he understand what he had done? Did he feel bad? Is he capable of remorse? Perhaps he is not responsible? Well, maybe. But then again maybe he understood what he did and yes, he doesn't feel bad - and for that matter, watch out! He may be back in school in a few months!
Living in a crack house full of drugs and guns is not conducive to good behavior or the welfare of children. But then again, that doesn't explain the brutal, insensitive killing! No bad exposure can give license to children for brutality. It's been said that we are products of society. If that were true, let's see what society has been offering our children.
Two unprecedented things have been in the news. The proliferation of electronic tech toys for infants and the release of a new study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) regarding the doubling of psychotropic drugs for 2 to 4 year olds.
The acceleration of adult computer toys and medicine for younger kids is on the rise.
A high percentage of new toys come with a computer chip. A new name has been given to the electronic toys for the smallest kids, "Infant Electronica", toys for nine-month-olds. They now have the opportunity to play with new tech toys. These interactive toys are the wave of the future.
Who needs friends when your toy can talk, kiss, smell, think, cry, wet and turn itself off? Sounds very human to me.
"Hey", said a four-year-old girl to me one day at my day care center - "You can keep this electronic doll, she is like my sister!" I believe that she didn't like her sister either.
With the doubling and tripling of psychotropic drugs among two to four years olds, we are producing a new brand of children. How safe are the drugs? How safe are the kids? Do Ritalin and Prozac - the stimulants and anti-depressants really help the kids?
In the JAMA report, Dr. Julie Magno Zito stated, "The possibility of adverse effects on the developing brain cannot be ruled out." She also states that there are "Unresolved questions involve the long-term safety of psychotropic medication (with this age group)." It's something very real to worry about.
Starting from nine months, they are overexposed to our crazy world. They are forced to wear fashion designer clothing, take drugs and play with the latest electronic-tech toys.
Is there a wonder as to why children are acting like crazy adults!