Negotiating the Ideas of Children

Writing in her popular book, Really Seeing Children, Deb Curtis explains that "a huge part of our daily lives is negotiating children's ideas with our own. As I’ve worked to notice, respect, and extend children's ideas, I often find myself in dilemmas...

I ask myself how often I stop an idea based on my logic, not understanding or misreading a child's idea. Toddlers move fast, make messes, and often get themselves in risky situations as they pursue their ideas. Their brains work differently than mine. They see more, hear more, and experience more than I do. But I know that when I take even their smallest actions seriously, I am astonished by the children's deep engagement with simple ideas about the wonders around them."

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