The Wonders of Childhood

The Wonders of Childhood

Even with all of the corruption in today’s world, the most exciting time in life is still to watch a child grow into a young adult. The transitions that these young human beings go through are just amazing. In fact, these changes can be seen from the day that a child is born, the searching that an infant will do looking for his mother, the first steps, first words and getting ready for that first day at school. However, this progress does not just limit itself to childhood; it goes all the way through adulthood. The most amazing time of them all has to be when a child enters into his school age years, especially the first year, Kindergarten. Tears will roll down a parent’s face the first time the child talks or walks, when the eyes sparkle because it is his birthday or because Santa Claus is on his way. The way a child will grab the leg of a parent who is just returning home. The joy that a child feels just to be held and have a story read to him. Also, to recite the alphabet successfully and to be told that he is now a big boy and off to kindergarten he goes.

Consequently, a kindergartner, with his joy for learning and exploring is to be considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The gleam that is present in his eye to arrive at school each and everyday is delightful to see, almost heartwarming and yet, the constant chatter when he arrives home at the end of the day can be so annoying that his delight is so easily overshadowed. His struggle for independence, but yet, the fear of going to far are obvious on his face, and then the loss of his first tooth and the introduction of the tooth fairy makes his world seem to be all right again. The responsibilities that he takes on without any probing, such as for a younger sibling or trying to be helpful and prove how much of a big boy he is for mom and dad.

The struggle that a parent goes through to retain some control is fought for every inch of the way. A child learns to make his own decisions and a parent struggles between excitement and fear. First, the excitement for playing such a large role in the development of another human being and enjoying what the outcome has been. A parent is also excited that some of the weight has been taken off from the child’s own decision making. Second, the fear of losing the child that has been a life line for so many years. The fear of what the child may that to encounter when he finally is on his own. Finally, the fear that something was missing in the teaching of the child to survive in society. This is all looked upon by a parent with amazement and wonder. Also, it is a little sobering to realize that this little child will very soon be a grown adult, ready to be an active part of his society.

This was a paper that I wrote after my oldest son started Kindergarten. In June of this year he graduated High School. After re-reading this paper, I found that I have had all the same excitement and fears over the years that spanned the time of the original writing and today.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to watch him grown into his own person/personality. He has formed his own opinions, even if some of them have been very extreme and illogical, he created them and they were his own. I have watched him make decisions that I have thought were the wrong choice and watched him struggle through the consequences of those decisions.

In essence, I have watched him become an active part of society and the world in which he lives.