There is something so joyful about observing a group of kids solving life’s problems. It doesn’t seem to matter if they are babies, toddlers, or tweens. It often makes me giggle from the simplicity in their solutions.
It makes me reflect back on my childhood memories, and my desire to make a stage for my impromptu dance performances. I bet my parents never imagined the living room table and the bed sheet, relegated to the garage, would ever come together to be a pillar of entertainment. But never did it occur to me to not use these items in alternative ways. My troop of performers, sub neighborhood kids, were always eager to take their turn on the stage even if it had a tendency to become more of a slip and slide when someone moved around too much.
Recruiting performers was never an issue. I knew the kids who lived on our block well. We had been through many adventures together, some more successful than others. The magic that kept us going was our ability to recognize and encourage each other’s strengths. Then, we never recognized them as ‘strengths’. Instead, it was just us trying to get something done, in the then and now, and knowing who could climb a tree the fastest, who had access to a 10-speed, and whose house had the best snacks. Even when we disagreed (and sometimes argued), it was a quick journey through debate, disappointment, and eventually, agreement. When a new kid moved on the block, they were always invited into our little group, and one of two things happened: The newbie adopted the mindset or slowly removed themselves from the group. No big hoopla. No conversations of compromise. Simply you got the culture or you didn’t.
So, what if we adults channeled our inner child and navigated our lives with a childlike mindset? Think about it. I know “childlike” can sometimes be interpreted as immature, but what if we took it at face value? I think about the decisions I make every day and wonder how often I complicate them. I spend too much time considering one-off ramifications and not enough time making the best solution for the task. We should be considerate of others, but how often does the right person, with the ideal skill set, not get the opportunity to shine with their talents because we didn’t just go with our gut. We have all these remnant protocols and procedures embedded within us and those pieces often cloud our judgement. They rear their heads in both our personal and professional lives.
If someone needs to speak on a topic, pick the person who is a talent for oration. A paper needs to be scribed? Choose the writer in the bunch. Connections need to be made? Find your gifted conversationalist. You know your group of peers.
At Camp Fire, we call this ‘sparking’. Our programs encourage youth and adults alike to ‘find their spark’. What is a spark? It’s more than a passion, and it’s certainly not a talent. It’s what makes you get up in the morning. It’s what you do when you need to relax. It’s something you constantly seek out, and you’re always improving on it. When we ask our children what their spark is, we get answers like sports, my family, school, nature and so many more.
In other words, lead like a kid. Imagine how simple and joyful your world could be.
Christina Middlebrook is the Vice President for the council’s Outdoor Division at Camp Fire First Texas. She has extensive experience with classroom teaching, environmental stewardship and out-of-school time programming. Christina holds a Master of Arts in science education and several certifications including an Educational Leadership Certification from Harvard, a Nonprofit Management Certification from University of Texas- Austin, two teaching certificates and a Professional Development and Appraisal Systems Certificate from TEA.
