Blind obedience from children. A goal to achieve or avoid?

“I don’t want to hear a word!” “You will do what I say” and “You will do it because I say so” are phrases that adults often say to children. And many of us consider it ideal that children do as we speak without a second thought. How many of us do not look at quiet and obedient children with admiration and a secret hope that our child is like that?

Although this seems ideal to us as parents or teachers and whoever interacts with children, how perfect is this for the child himself?

A child who learns to obey simply because an adult says so, to carry out orders and suggestions without complaint, always to say “yes,” and submit to his superiors learns that you must obey to survive. He knows to follow and submit. To submit to the stronger, to the authority. In power, in any relationship. Friendly, companionable, professional… He becomes a docile follower!

Is this what we want for our children and the citizens of tomorrow? Or do we want critical-thinking people who don’t follow but lead? To take the initiative, to investigate, to question, to claim, and to be able to support their opinion with arguments?

A critically thinking person, however, does not become this way by magic in adulthood but is raised this way from childhood. When the endless “why?” are answered, when the rules and family boundaries and social imperatives are explained to him. When he understands the reason behind every behavior he is asked to implement, when he understands their usefulness, even though he may disagree with them, when he is given the right to question, dialogue, and negotiation, and when his voice is valued.

So, our little revolutionaries should be our pride because if the revolution is done appropriately, they can claim, succeed and lead their lives!