Christmas....where are we going wrong???
 

I did a lesson on thursday about advent...it's really been playing on my mind....
I was asking my class about why they think there are 24 windows on an advent calendar and why we celebrate Christmas. My actual lesson was going top be a "box of delights". They decorate a box and place nice messages inside to give to person at christmas. I was trying to get across to them that a gift to someone doesn't have to be expensive, and that sometimes a few well meaning thoughts and words are enough...
There was only one child in the class that knew why we celebrate Christmas:(
What are we doing?
I am an educationalist...I understand that children are egocentric .
Why am I so so sad? This has never happened before in my teaching career...Why are parents not raising their children to appreciate life for what it is?
Why is material possession so important to people? AND ...Why are we teaching it to our children at such a young age?

err yeah, give me a minute... i'm still trying to work out what egocentric means.

but thanks for reminding me about the advent calendar kb - forgot today's chocky!

KB, seems to me you're sad because you're impotent to make a noticeable difference, trying to push back the tide. The main problem is you only have your own frame of reference to work with. I'm quite sure we seemed as revoltingly materialistic and shallow to our parents as the kids in your class do to you, and so on back for many generations.

The difference between you and your parents is that the population is expanding, and therefore sum of knowledge, technology and change are also expanding, packing greater change into less time.

It's easy to think that the further back you go, the more civilised things were, but go back more than the blink of an eye and things were pretty savage. Existence itself would've taken up plenty of your thinking time, unless you were one of a tiny portion of life born into wealth. Dwelling on where you're getting your next meal from probably outweighed pondering whether to buy a cashmere poncho or not.

Existence is now taken for granted by the vast majority, especially the young. Even people well into their 40s and 50s can now rely on the state to guard them from all evils (so they'd have us believe), giving everyone much more time to concentrate on that material item they've had their eye on.

A secondary problem is that kids are no longer driven to thinking in terms of pure theology/science/philosophy, but in applied versions of each. This is undoubtably a good thing for many (and another debate entirely), but again it removes focus from the big knobbly existential questions that give you the set of values you live by, making it easier to follow the pack, buy into the marketing.

This may seem a bit far fetched for nippers, but I'm sure what you're seeing is a lesser version of the above mirrored, from the parents and peers, in the eyes of the kids your dealing with.

For what it's worth, I like to think of it as cyclical. It's just that the cycles are rather long, measured in generations rather than years. It's also a little comforting to know that england seems to be at the forefront of this ignorance-is-bliss revolution (excl. US), so if you can't take anymore then feel free to wander over to france, down to argentina, or across to japan, where you'll find slightly more thought, slighty less cash.

Alternatively, hang around here and surround yourself with people for whom life is still of some interest. And don't worry too much, disinterested kids do occaisionally become interested adults. You can spot them easily by their universal love of v-twins.... :)

Cheers,

Ali

Thats a bit deep! Did you know it's a Sat night Ali? You need a glass of wine.

It's all blx anyway, he who dies with the most toys wins! :devil:

don't know what age group you teach kb but they sound young?

you ask my kids about christmas and im sure you would get the same reaction as in your class. lots of talk about the latest toy that they want.

BUT when they bring home a card they have made in class to give to me and their mum, there little eyes lite up and they are just as exited, if not more so than when they get pressies
children do enjoy bringing pleasure to others instinctivly, though they might not realise or be able to explain this.

p.s asked my emily what santa could bring her
she replied, a christmas tree
and if you could get some lights for it, it would look nice

Thanks Ali, you talk such sense...I'm just a worrier. I may have felt impotent on Thursday but I sure as hell wont be next week:D
I was just shocked by the avarice that my class displayed even after the pre-teaching. Most children know what the social ettiquette is and what the Adult wants to hear...Even my last years class with their global delay's, behaviour and moderate learning difficulties were able to discuss Christmas and the meaning behind it.
Information technology is moving at such a rate that it will soon be instantaneous, Our children have to cram in so much information at such an early age that they are bound to find it difficult to make sense of it all without the correct previous experience.

I'm here to make a difference. I just need to rethink my Christmas curriculum so that the content is more interpersonal and social heavy. I will make a difference if it kills me. It's my job!:roll:

Yes they are...7 years...
AND I love them lots...
They are extremely funny at that age...and like I said "The world revolves around them" (egocentric -Nick:D)
I was just puzzled this year by their lack of empathy and understanding (even from childrens standards)
Dont worry...by the time I've finished with them they will all be potential counsellors and social workers!:P

I'm surprised they would not know the broad meaning, birth of chrsit and stuff. My sons 8 and has learnt this at school from 5. While they have also learnt about many other cultures, and xmas plays are not really nativity, they have been taught the basics of why we celebrate this time of year and easter.

My family are not religious, so he certainly wont get much from me, so it must be his school/teachers??

What has the school done to teach them these values in early years?

Kids,

they never cease to amaze me, mine are nealy 3 and 5 and a half. Can't believe i was ever like that myself! Teaching them must be very hard work, combination of rewarding and frustrating.

We try and teach them the rights and wrongs of life but sometimes the avarice of presents at christmas overides the real meaning especially as the youngest is only really understanding christmas this year.

I can only speak from my limited experience of younger kids than those that you teach, but its gotta be hard when they aren't your own with the values that you instill.

Just teach them that red is the best colour both in terms of bikes and football teams and they will grow up to be responsible adults:D

Thanks for the new word lisa....

but what's on my mind, and I don't mean this in a "bah humbug" kind of way, but why do we still celebrate christmas? Let's face it, not many of us these days are religious and from KB's first post it seems that only one child from a whole class is actually from a family who holds the holiday in it's traditional spirit.
Is it just because we do what's expected of us rather than what we really want to do? Only one member of my family follows any sort of religion (and he lives in Botswana!), but if I don't buy stuff for every living relative then I'd be disowned!

discuss...