Advice for Raising a Wee Bairn

On our recent trip to Scotland, our driver and guide for our tour to the Highlands, Ewan, spoke often of his family. He and his wife live in Edinburgh and have one child, a little girl, who is two years old. He expressed concerns about her future in terms of where they live and where she receives her schooling. 

 Isle of Seil, Scotland

At one of our stops in a small fishing village, I crossed the road to get a closer look at a primary school building .As I stood admiring the simplicity of the school building and the playground, Ewan crossed the road and came to stand beside me.  He expressed his wish that his "wee one" could go to school in a small highland village such as this one and learn to appreciate and feel that she is a part of her culture.

I didn't offer any "sage" advice at that time but I began to think about what would be the top three things to tell a dad who wants his daughter to grow up strong and happy.  I came up with the following items:

• Protect Her

Young children are totally dependent on adults for their physical and emotional health and safety. In order to learn and grow, children need to feel safe both physically and psychologically. Providing her with a warm, nurturing, supportive  relationship with not only her parents but with other significant adults in her life, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins will help her feel loved. 
Children need nutritious food, a place to live, clothing, health care, sleep, exercise, warmth, and love and they need this from significant adults in their lives.

• Guide Her

Young children need guidance that teaches, not punishment. Positive guidance provides limits that are age appropriate, reasonable, and logical.  Harsh, coercive, and manipulative discipline changes brain development with negative outcomes.  Saying, "let's think of another way to get the toy off the shelf" or "let me help show you how to turn the pages so they won't tear" or " I know you want that right now, but she has it, let's wait for a turn"  rather than saying, "get down off of there," "look what you've done, you ruined the book for everyone" or "you know better than to grab,", helps children learn not only basic rules of etiquette but allows them to feel capable and independent.

• Teach Her

Aside from providing a rich interactive environment that includes musical activities, art, dance and pretend play, it is also essential to help a child "find their voice."  Participating in music, art, dance, and pretend play engages many areas of the brain and enhances development in all domains. These play experiences are more important to the developing brain than are the fanciest or most technological toys. Being able to negotiate turn taking, manage and express strong feelings appropriately, resolve conflicts in a constructive manner, and know that they are being heard and understood by their peers and adults are crucial social skills for school success as well as being successful in life's relationships.

Of course, there are so many more things that go into raising a happy, healthy, independent child, but these three should get parents and children off to a good start. With the love and dedication that Ewan expressed for his "wee bairn" I have no doubt that she will grow up healthy and happy!

Asking for a "helping hand" to build a new community playground for younger children. 

I hope they meet their goal!

One last thought from Scotland about young children and dogs.
I'll let you interpret it in your own way.

That's it for now.
Check back later!

Some information taken from an article, What Do Children Need? Learning Through the Day.