Moody. Incorrigible. Chaotic.
The children in this word have always been this and much more. They are supposedly immature, indifferent and cannot assess the reality of any situation. Agreed that we need to procreate to the effect of continuing our species. But do we really need this extensive growing up phase of humans. What if babies could just directly become adults? What if we could skip over being adolescents?
Well, it may well be a world without beings that actually bring balance to it. There has even been much scientific research done on this matter. The results show that not only do we need teens and toddlers but they may well be one of the reasons that set up apart from other creatures. How you may ask? The one thing that makes us humans sit on top of the pyramid is our advanced brain. We are able to process and communicate everything that happens around us. We can do math and make music with this gift of the universe. But it is difficult to imagine that your 13 year old might possess the same powers right? Especially after that inexplicable argument you might just have had with him or her.
In reality, this nature of standing up for their own, taking risks, choosing ways that haven’t been tried before is exactly what makes children unique. Children and teenagers have a completely different understanding of the world than the adults. They see every situation as an opportunity – either to win from it or to learn from it. For them the more improbable something is, the more interested they become in it. As B. J. Casey, a neuroscientist at Weill Cornell Medical College who has spent nearly a decade applying brain and genetic studies to our understanding of adolescence, puts it, “We’re so used to seeing adolescence as a problem. But the more we learn about what really makes this period unique, the more adolescence starts to seem like a highly functional, even adaptive period. It’s exactly what you’d need to do the things you have to do then.”
So here are a few reasons why this class of humans are imperative:
1. Risk-Takers – As we grow up, we stop putting ourselves out there and trying something new. Teenagers and even children for that matter are inherently coded to try something different. It is not because they do not understand the risks or are reckless, it is because they weigh the pros and cons differently than an adult. A teenager will not care about the risks if there is even a small chance of getting what he or she needs. An adult on the other hand sees every risk as a major threat. This is also the reason why as we grow, we stop fighting for what we want and succumb to the ‘risks’. Children help us remind that it is okay to take risks sometimes, whether you fall or triumph.
2. Perspective – Perhaps it comes from their knack of taking risks, but children have a far better perspective of how the world works. They don’t over complicate things and go into fits of hysteria. A child will take a situation and look at the most simple and effective way to solve it, a child can even take into account others perspective, understanding their view point. As adults, we get rigid as we grow – shaping our own bubbles, relenting to change our viewpoint. With kids, we get back that perspective that is essential if we want to live in a peaceful society.
3. Better Decision Makers – A survey has in fact shown that teenagers are as good a decision makers, if not better, as any average adult. Most parents fear that due to their immaturity, their offspring might not be able to choose what is good for them but, children actually have a better picture of reality. They know the consequence and consider them well. This is also the point on which we see almost 90% of the parents and their children argue about. Rest assured, if you have brought up your child well, chances are that he or she knows what they are doing.
4. Make us Better Human Beings – Unlike adults who feel embarrassed to own up to their faults or buckle down to someone, children are much more adaptive. They feel responsible for their mistakes and are humble. They can as easily follow someone as they can lead the pack. In many cases, a child also displays acts of such courage and kindness that you are left nonplussed aren’t you? It is these sparks of joy that help us understand as adults that even we are still learning.
These are just a few of the many reasons why it is essential that a baby should grow out its adolescent and teenage phases. These are the formative years, the years in which you learn to be kind and strong, to be humble and courageous. It is this extensive cycle that helps us become who we are as adults. And although we may lose our path as we grow up, all we need is the presence of such pure yet powerful forces in the form of children and our childhood experiences of past which can show us the way forward.
