Often children repeat actions and words in a schematic way without an apparent meaning. It is important to respect their behavior, a fundamental tool to “discover the world”, feel capable of controlling events and intervening on reality
“Supercalifragi -filing, even if you think you have a frightening sound, if you say it you will have an amazing success, supercalifragyfiralidoso!”. To access the world of children and get to know them up close, you need to understand some magic. The creators of cartoons or fairy tales know it well, who have always used magical characters and fantastic situations to kidnap and passionate about the minds of the little ones. The magic I am talking about concerns the so -called “Magical thought”that is, the way in which the child thinks, lives, knows, interprets and relates to the world.
Knowing this mode of thought, present especially in the first seven years of life, can help the adult relating to the little one. In fact, knowing how to read childhood behaviors recognizing their profound meaning and without diminishing them (for example thinking that “they are children”) promotes a rich educational relationship and marked to mutual respect.
Express your inner world
One of the manifestations of magical thought is the ritualthat is, actions and words that are repeated schematically by the child in certain circumstances and without an apparent meaning, for example, turn off and turn on the switches before leaving the house, do not trample the lines, repeat a certain word invented, and so on.
Here are two real situations that told me two pairs of parents:
- Gabriele is 3 years old and has recently attended kindergarten. The setting was not easy and there are still days when, when it separates from the parents, she cries a lot. When the grandfather goes to take him to the exit, he already knows that he will see the grandchild to make two turns around the tree, walk in balance by step by step by step only the yellow tiles and then run to the top along the uphill road that runs alongside the school building. Every day the same path, woe to interrupt it! “What are you doing up there?” Asks the grandfather. “I get on the mountain and kill the dragon,” Gabriele replies naturally.
- Matteo is 5 years old and is a football enthusiast. At the park he always brings a ball to play “goals” with other children. Before pulling in the door, I always whisper a strange word approaching the ball to the face, it almost seems that you speak to him.
