“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.
See also:
- Both coercion and “doing nothing” are mistakes
- Children fending for themselves like adults?!
- How do you solve problems where there is a conflict of interest?
Sarah Fitz-Claridge, Taking Children Seriously FAQ: ‘Does taking children seriously mean not influencing them?’, https://takingchildrenseriously.com/does-taking-children-seriously-mean-not-influencing-them/