Page 30 - Meeting with Children Book

P a ge | 28

THE ART OF MEETING WITH

CHILDREN

There are many ways to hear the voices of children

Children have unique ways of communicating and if
you listen with all of your senses, you will hear what
they have to say. As an adult you have gradually been
socialized away from the natural communication
styles of the child you once were. You too could speak
fluently in symbols and metaphors and you were once
able to put numerous sequences together to create
complex, rich narratives about your life experiences.
As you developed, words took over and you no longer
used objects, toys, pictures and movement to narrate
your life story and express your feelings. We now take
a journey back to the place you left behind; to re-visit
and, ironically, re-learn what came to you naturally
through play and expressive art and activities. If we
are to enter the world of the child and really hear what
they are saying, we need to re-learn the art of being a