Are the children of today the ones with the best development and growth, or was it the children of the past?

We buy them miniatures of horses or cows, or we buy artificial sand, and artificial clay. However, looking back, the environment for children was vastly different.

Lessons from the Past

In the olden days, there used to be chickens in their homes, they knew how to feed them, there used to be calves, cats, and ducks. There was soil, and there were people.

At that time, children had the opportunity to interact with real-life objects and real-life animals. Through that, they properly learned love, compassion, social interaction, as well as physical health.

In the past, children saw cows being milked, they saw cows giving birth, and they saw hens laying eggs. They had the opportunity to watch and experience these things firsthand.

The Modern Disconnect

Nowadays, the disconnect is visible. If you ask a child where milk or eggs come from, the immediate answer is – the fridge.

Parents might rightly ask:

"If we keep aside all toys and live in this flat, can we really raise dogs, cats, or cows?"

Completely, it may not be practical. But still, we can find small ways to bridge this gap. We can set up an aquarium at home or raise a few birds. Through feeding them, watching their movements, and observing them, children can learn many things.

Growth Beyond Toys

In the same way, do we give children the opportunity to sprout seeds, plant them in the soil, watch those plants grow, see flowers bloom, and experience smelling them?

We must realize how much more this supports a child’s intellectual development, as well as their social and emotional growth, than just playing with toys.

The best toy we can give children is real-life animals, birds, real-life objects, or real-life experiences. Let them interact with nature and with people in that way.