Maria Montessori wrote that children are worthy of our respect because of their innocence and the greater possibilities of their future.
Which I often re-run through my mind when I’m watching my four-year-old examine a snail like she’s just discovered a new planet.
We call it dawdling. They're lost in the moment.
We encourage them to ask questions, explore the world and express themselves. Yet somewhere along the way, many of us grown ups have lost curiosity for ourselves.
We get busy…being busy. We learn to value efficiency and productivity over messy, slow exploration. We grab our phone and forget how to play.
And before we know it, we're rushing past the very things that once made the world fascinating.
I wonder when we decided that being grown up meant we had less to learn from those who are younger.
So here's your experiment for the week.
Let a child set the pace.
Follow the question down the rabbit hole. Watch bugs together. Play the ridiculous game. Write a letter to a friend, revive snail mail!
See what happens when you let curiosity lead for a change.
You might learn something.
Or you might spend 20 minutes watching a snail.
Both seem worthwhile.
