Teaching Children the Truth?

Teaching young children is something I am very passionate about. This is mainly because I have the ability to shape the way a child conceptualizes truth and meaning. Over the course of this class I have thought a lot about how I will use my understanding of genocide and justice to teach children. I think it is very important that they understand that they can change the world simply by understanding what is going on around them or what has gone on in history so that it does not happen again. However the education system has been doing future generations a huge disservice by not teaching the history of the United States in a true manner. There are many ways to teach children at a developmentally appropriate level without lying to them. Clearly when things, whether it be the Armenian genocide or the Native American genocide, are simply not taught, there is a problem and an intentional coverup. History is made and created by the winners, however when there is evidence that something happened in a different manner, we as a society, have an obligation to teach our children the truth no matter how "messy" it is.

I think that many children are able to handle a lot more than we give them credit for. The idea that children are resilient is so true. Many children are or have actually experienced these events, which is far more terrible than simply hearing about them. Also I think children are more receptive to certain new ideas because they do not already have a perception of the "way things are" in their heads like many adults do. From my experiences working with children and adults, I find I am much more likely to hear a child say "that isn't fair!" while an adult will be more likely to say "well that is just the way it is." Perhaps if our children were running the world, we would get more done and get along better without our preconceived notions and one-sided thinking.

Music as a Form of Healing

The power of music never ceases to amaze me. I think whether you are a certified music therapist or simply use lyrics and chords to express your emotions, everyone can use music as a way of working through deep feelings that talking cannot explain. Not only was Bonnie's story amazing, but her lyrics really spoke to me personally. My mother's side of the family is Jewish and I know that there were many members of the family that did not survive the Holocaust that I will never know. Additionally there are members of my family that survived the Holocaust but died before I was born so I will never be able to understand what they endured. I think her whole message that her parents never hid anything from her is particularly poignant. I can understand how something could be so painful that you simply cannot share it with your children, however at the same time it seems like you own it to the future generations so they can understand their history. It is an interesting dilemma I can imagine for survivors of any sort of trauma. Personally I think Bonnie's children did the right thing in telling her about their experiences. It is a part of her family and her immediate history and if they did not tell her, there would be gaps of time and people that would be unaccounted for. Eventually all children pick up on things and ask questions. The more dissatisfied they are with the answer, the more inquisitive they become. Therefore I think that by being up front and age appropriate with their responses, Bonnie's parents made the right decision in telling her. However I can sympathize with families who see it differently.