Behavior

Good behavior, bad behavior, behavior policy, behavior management, behavior, behavior, behavior. We could talk about all the different aspects of behavior for hours. Instead, I want to discuss a paragraph about behavior from a recently finished book.

In The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart, she writes, “As a result, most adults want kids to bear the burden of discomfort-for kids to behave, to use manners, to sit straight, to be quiet, to obey, to do what they’re supposed to do all the time without mistakes or resistance, to work “independently,” to make adult lives easier. Meanwhile, most adults want exceptions: to be late with a payment, to forget occasionally, to be excused when angry, to be given the benefit of the doubt when they overstate, to be forgiven when they break stuff, to be helped when they need it. Of the two (children and adults), who has maturity on their side? Adults!” (98).

Doesn’t this make you think of all the expectations that we put on children in the classroom, at home, at the store, and everywhere? Is it fair to put all these expectations on children all day, every day without giving them some room for mistakes? Should we be a little more lenient with our expectations and focus more on children being children? Shouldn’t they get to play and explore what they like for themselves?

I would love to spark some minds and have some conversations about this topic. Feel free to discuss your opinions here or on the group's Facebook page.

Bogart, J. (2019). The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life. Tarcher Perigee.