“The more (voluntary, wanted, enjoyable) engagement and influence in all directions, the better. And when people are voluntarily joining together and influencing one another, amazing things can happen. The whole may well be greater than the sum of the parts: they may create knowledge together that might not have happened were they each alone.”
– Sarah Fitz-Claridge
“Does taking children seriously mean not influencing them?”
Noooooo! Not at all! Any more than taking my husband seriously means not influencing him! Of course we influence one another. That is a beautiful thing, as long as it is wholehearted and genuine persuasion that they love, as opposed to coercive manipulative arm-twisting ‘influencing’.
This is not like an exam, in which one may not get help with an answer. The more (voluntary, wanted, enjoyable) engagement and influence in all directions, the better. We can learn heaps through other people’s marvellous influence including wanted criticisms. And when people are connecting in relationships, communities and otherwise voluntarily joining together and influencing one another, amazing things can happen. The whole may well be greater than the sum of the parts: they may create knowledge together that might not have happened were they each alone.
See also:
- How parents’ view of coercion progresses when engaging with the idea of taking children seriously
- Coercing children to play an instrument
- Surely criticism is always good?
Sarah Fitz-Claridge, 2022, Taking Children Seriously FAQ: ‘Does taking children seriously mean not influencing them?’, https://takingchildrenseriously.com/does-taking-children-seriously-mean-not-influencing-them/