Letting Children be Children

I was reading a book called Taking Back Childhood by Nancy Carlsson-Paige. It stated how the school systems were taking away playtime from children in favour of teaching children to make the best test scores on the state standard tests. She also said that children do not play like children played a decade ago using their imagination and playing outside, instead they spend countless hours in front of the t.v. or playing hand held video games.
Then I was reading on a site about some parents of gifted children pusing them to read, not because the child wanted to, but because the parent thought the child should be reading at the age of 3. She said something along the lines of I had to take a break from the reading progam because ds was just not getting it.
I thought how true for what Carlsson-Paige said and how sad for that child. Where did that child's childhood go? That three year old should be playing, making up imaginary things, being read to, exploring. Not made to sit and do worksheets and lessons. I could see if it was the childs choice, my oldest wanted to learn to read at the age of two, was reading simple books by the age of three and reading chapter books by the age of four. But it was his doing not mine. He would bring me a book and ask, "What's that word?" It was constantly, "What's that word?"
My middle child did not want to read, loathed reading when he was younger. So I took the leap and let him be. He built things, he explore, he played with power tools. You should have seen the look on people's faces as they walked by my house and they would see a three year old playing with a jig saw and sander. At the age of eight he decided it was time. He started off hesitantly, but by the time he was nine he was reading fluently and getting up in front of people and giving public readings. Now he reads adult books and he just turned 11 not too long ago. So there is hope for those who have late readers.

I remember when I was young going out and catching garter snakes and taking them to school with me. This was always a fail safe measure to getting out of reading when I was in the 3rd grade. I hated reading because I am dyslexic. More with numbers than letters though, but at that age it was all bad. When it was my turn to read...out would come Mr. Snake with my book and that was the quickest way to clear the teacher out to the room (and me to the principal's office). Then mid-year had a teacher change and the teacher actually worked with me to read. It's not that I couldn't do it, it was just that I hated to struggle at it...when I am nervous it makes it worse. Nothing makes me more nervous than to have all eyes on me when trying to read...
I read a lot better silently. Since she worked with me it got better little by little. Then lo and behold they found out that I was gifted. Then came the real pressure. Teacher always said..."You can do better than that." or "I'm disappointed in you that you did not try harder." Work got piled on me and I was at home studying instead of catching crawdads and snakes like my brother and his friends...who were once my friends. While they ran around playing chase and tag, I was inside studying, reading, doing worksheets.

I wanted something different for my children. I know they are gifted...each in their own way. Three children, talented, in separate areas. Its great to watch them. I want them to have time to play and imagine. I want them to be able to find an area they excel at without someone pushing them into an area that they are not happy in. I want them to have a childhood.
I know my three year old is ready to read but he has more fun building with blocks and learning about physics. He has more fun catching bugs, dancing in the yard, and watching the clouds go by on a summers day. In the winter he loves to watch the snowflakes and try to catch them on his tongue.
That is what childhood is about. Not trying to get ahead academically, not making them sit for hours at a young age to test for a standard that has nothing to do with them. They should be able to make believe, imagine, play, dance...
Imaginative play is important for a child's development. It builds necessary pathways in cognitive development. It helps with problem solving and developing coping mechanisms and this is the stage that is being denied children with early work, the ever decreasing play time at school, pushing young children to accomplish things they are not ready for.
It is time we as parents give back our children their childhood. We as parents, are our children's first advocates for what they need because we know our children best.