Opinion

The impatience of childhood

'Are we nearly there yet?' 'How many sleeps before my
birthday?'

'When's mum coming back?'

For many young children, waiting is difficult. They want it NOW! Babies cry when they are hungry and the fact that a feed is two minutes away doesn't halt the screams.

Some years ago, I was working with a group of colleagues to consider what the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child meant in early years practice. It felt to me that one of the main responsibilities of an educator in upholding children's rights in early childhood education settings was to allow children time - often difficult to do when other routines and priorities conflict.

Allowing children time is essential for their learning and well-being. Yet how many times in a day are children told to 'hurry up'?

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