There are some decisions that will cause a child to grow up accompanied by adults or more children. The only children, especially if they are the first grandson or nephew that appears in the family in many years, usually go to the nursery later and stay with the grandparents or uncles longer. Although this is not negative, in my opinion it is better to facilitate other contacts, hence the question of "Why is it good for children to be with other children?".
I was always an advocate of exclusive maternal or paternal upbringing until age three. That is, economically organize the family so that one of the parents can take a full leave and avoid the use of nurseries and grandparents on an ongoing basis.
The three years is not a random date, but they assume the age range of emotional education. During this period, the child's self-confidence, self-esteem and self-image are modeled. I do not want to say that later they cannot modulate these capabilities, but it is an extremely sensitive period.
Now, after two children and a tendency to see things with more perspective and less extremism, I notice the lack of individually educating a child.
- Learning opportunities are not as spontaneous with an adult, as with other kids of their age, with which initiatives that help mature in the physical, intellectual and emotional plane continually arise.
- Adults, we tend to "take advantage" of children, to seek in them an affection that makes us feel loved. The problem is that we give the child the forced role of emotionally satisfying us with requests such as "give me a kiss", "do that so funny ...", "I have told you that the kid already knows ...", which we encourage in the an actor role in the center of adult action that does not help him learn to relate to his peers.
- Among children, the roles that arise are constantly changing, enriching their experiences. When he is with younger children, they assume the role of organizers and game directors. When they are with older children, they get carried away (sometimes) and take care.
To conclude, although we are lucky enough to be able to offer our children an early childhood with a reference person and with an environment in which they have their own identity (that there is no adult for every 15 children), we should not neglect experiences among other children about their age in parks, recreational centers or other opportunities (such as the beach or gardens).
