Little Experts

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I had just turned five years old when one of my parents snapped this picture in the winter of 1958-1959.

A few months later, my mother registered me for first grade at Ashland City Elementary School. I remember Mama teaching my how to write my name before the first day of school.

My first grade teacher lettered the name of each student onto narrow strips of cream-colored cardstock. She displayed our names on the ledge of the chalkboard.

Mrs. Massey wrote my name like this: Charlene Boyd. However, Mama had taught me to write it like this: CHARLENE BOYD. In my child mind, I was sure that Mrs. Massey was wrong and I told her so.

I am remembering this incident of a mistaken, but confident, little five-year-old, because of an experience this past weekend. One of our granddaughters, who is now five, gave Ray and me a tour of her family’s garden. She relished the opportunity to teach us what she knows about gardening.

She told us not to step on the big zucchini leaves. She talked to us about what size a cucumber should be when you pick it and told us that it is okay if zucchini gets bigger than cucumbers. She taught us that you do cook zucchini, but you don’t cook cucumbers — except when you are making pickles.

She relished her role as expert.

Giving a child the opportunity to “teach” adults is a kind gift. Teaching children that adults have authority and that children should obey does not mean that they can never stand in the role of “expert.”

Adults needs to be mature enough to learn from children. Our role on Saturday wasn’t to let our granddaughter know that we already know about zucchini and cucumbers. Our role was to honor her as a bright and well-informed gardener and to show her that we found her lecture fascinating.

Mrs. Massey didn’t shame me when I told her she wrote my name wrong. Soon I learned how to do it her way with upper case and lower case letters. Before too long, I was learning to read about Dick and Jane and Ted and Sally, too.

We know how God wants us to communicate with one another:

This you know, my beloved brethren.
But everyone must be quick to hear,
slow to speak and slow to anger . . .
James 1:19

Sometimes it’s hard to remember that this teaching applies when we are communicating with little people. I am convinced that they learn best when we do remember that and when we respect them the way Jesus taught us.

And they were bringing even their babies to Him
so that He would touch them,
but when the disciples saw it,
they began rebuking them.
But Jesus called for them, saying,
“Permit the children to come to Me,
and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Truly I say to you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it at all.”
Luke 18:15-17

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