Reflections on Children’s Spiritual Development

06/28/2023

Reflections on Children’s Spiritual Development

Within you, there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.
Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), German-Swiss poet, novelist

We’ve heard recently from early childhood teams who told us that when they used the Exchange Reflections, “Spirit and Spiritual Development,” interesting discussions and valuable insights emerged.

In her article that is the foundation for the Reflections, Amelia Richardson Dress writes, “We need a definition of spirit and spirituality that is separate from religion and religious education.”

Dress explains, "Leanne Hadley, whose work supporting children in crisis has been groundbreaking for both religious and secular professionals, uses this definition when she is working with children: ‘Spirit is the thing within us that makes us us. Spirituality is the way we connect our ‘inner us’ to everything else, including other people’s inner ‘usness.’ This understanding helps us think creatively about how to approach spirituality while respecting a child’s home culture."

Question to our ExchangeEveryDay Community: How would you define spiritual development? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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