Size Does Matter

And not every time it has to be bigger. Children preferred something they can hold and manipulate easily. We adult would call that size small.

Size can make all the difference in the world. For children, it can be the difference between independence and dependence. This is important if you think of children as ‘mini adults’ rather than children.

Dr. Maria Montessori was right in saying that a visitor from another planet will think of children as mini adults if they are the only people he would see on the Earth. Look at the way children act. They imitate many things that adults say and do. There’s much resemblance to adults in the way children walk, eat, and sleep.

This desire of children to be like adults is understandable; since they realize that adults manage the world around them and it’s always better to look like one. Behaving like an adult can get them more power and respect. It can also bring opportunities (read: permission) to do things which otherwise would not be allowed.

They would go around with their hands tied closely around their back with a little tilt forward trying to speak like their grandfather. Or they would sit in the driving seat of the family car and then pretend going around the city on a leisurely trip.

These ambitions of children are taken positively by us adults. It gives us a window of opportunity to teach them few things about how to behave. This gives a chance to make children do many things by giving only one reason, “Because grownups do it that way.”

“Why should I eat vegetables?” “Why do you want me to learn how to read?” “Why do I need to brush my teeth twice a day?” All these can be reasoned very well, simply by reminding children that adults do the same and the performance of that act can bring the child in the same league with the adults.

What’s the alternate? You can always give the pros and cons of the act and the conversation may not go anywhere. “You know there’s something called plague. It is a film that builds over your teeth and damages the enamel that covers it…. Oh! Never mind, just know that brushing will make you look like your papa.” And bingo, you have a child heading towards the washroom.

Now how long a child will continue to perform a certain action is a different story altogether. It would require special equipment to help a child to achieve the end result easily. And that’s where the size matters.

Look what happens when child goes to the washroom for brushing his teeth. Surely he is going to do it because it makes him look like his father but the kind of brush his father uses won’t do. It’s too big for him. He would need something of his own size, something smaller that he can hold and use easily.

There’s a difference between a desire and ability. A child wishes to be like an adult but he doesn’t have the ability to use all the tools used by adults. That’s a very important difference we adult should always keep in mind.

Usage of the same tools that we use by the children can decrease their motivation. They will not be able to maneuver a particular tool due to its size and decide not to carry on with the task.

Eating with the spoon is another good example. A child wants to eat independently, just like adults. But a big spoon will be too difficult to handle. There will be spilled food. Sooner or later the child or the parent will decide to stop the experiment. The feeding of the child will be done as it was done previously- by an adult. The journey from dependence to independence takes few steps backward due to the non-availability of the right tool.

There are a number of tasks which children can learn to perform if they are provided with an age appropriate sized tool. You don’t need to force them to choose the tool that can fit easily in their hands. Children have a natural inclination to choose the right sized tool. Place in front of them a tailor’s scissor and a small one with round edged and they will surely pick the second one. They will prefer to drink water in a small cup and eat in a small plate whenever they have a choice.

The same goes for pillows, socks, and blankets. Offer them a choice and they usually choose the smaller size. Children are smart naturally. They know what they can handle comfortably, and they also know the importance of completing a task as flawlessly as possible. That’s why they make the right choice of tools.

The shape of things can be a part of the same discussion. Children get bored with routine. They are creative and that’s why they love change. New and different shapes attract them. Shape of an object used for an activity, can increase the motivational level of children considerably.

So, if you want to help children to gain independence, and get in the habit of completing their tasks then arrange for the tools that are rightly sized for them. And if you can offer a tool with an interesting shape then so much better. A little innovation of ours into the shapes and sizes of things can bring a great improvement in children’s work habits. These two characteristics of an object help children to do more without any adult’s help or interference.