Silly Grownups

(still from Mike Leigh's  Grown-Ups)

Sometimes we aren't as smart as we think we are. A survey conducted a decade ago this month through the combined efforts of the Zero to Three Organization, Civitas (a non profit), and Brio (the toy maker) revealed the awful truth about the knowledge American adults have in regards to child development.  This survey of over 3,000 Americans (some with children, some without, and some with grown children) exposed the deficit that most American adults have when it come to the world of children. It's often joked that babies don't come with an owner's manual and parenting certainly isn't taught in our schools. So most adults rely on information they receive primarily from their spouses and their mothers. Unfortunately for them this study shows that their spouses know some, but their mothers are even less informed than they are.

 

 

(Voyage en douce by Michel Deville)

This survey shaped the way we see children and the way we care for them forever.  In many ways it allowed us to see down the rabbit hole and have that moment when you realize that you don' t even know what you don't know.

The questions asked in the survey had such interesting answers that became even more amazing when we researched the topic a bit further.  Simply reading the survey and the comments made by the authors allowed us to gain a much deeper understanding into a child's world.  It also pointed us down a path filled with teachers and philosophies that changed our lives.

We are saddened to admit that if this survey were conducted today many adults would answer the questions the same.  There are many beliefs that are deeply entrenched in the adult psyche.

There is so much rich information in this survey that we are going to take the questions one at a time, but for now here is a sampling of the questions we will be speaking to in the coming weeks... Please feel free to take part in our own informal survey by leaving your answers anonymously if you wish...

Should a 15 month old be expected to share his toys?

Is a six month old too young to spoil by giving her too much attention?

How young can a child experience depression?

Does spanking your child teach them self control?

We will tackle each of these questions in posts to come. Some of them may seem hard to answer with a simple yes or no, feel free to give us your full answer.

If you want to see the whole study, we have the pdf saved and can email it to anyone who emails us. It's getting harder to find online these days.