Not long ago, I was part of a discussion with the nursery team aboutwhether there was any reason to maintain our 'no running inside' rule.Some of the team had recently been involved in training run by Jabadao,the National Centre for Movement, Learning and Health. They had beenwatching how children moved at nursery, and had noticed that nearly allof them took care not to bump into each other or the furniture. Wherechildren did bump into each other, or the walls, it was almost alwaysbecause they intended to, not because they were uncontrolled. I wasaware that only moments earlier I had asked a toddler to do 'nicewalking' as she grabbed her coat and ran to the garden door. I startedto wonder whether you can feel your life in every limb, aged two, bydoing something called 'nice walking'.
We decided to experiment with dropping the 'no running inside' rule, andat the same time enabled children to have experiences inside and outwhere they could bump, roll and push into each other, while minding theneed not to hurt anyone else. A few weeks later, the 'no running' rulehad been practically forgotten. I became aware of how our rule had madechildren devious. In our sanitised environment with no pushing orbumping allowed, the children were doing it out of sight or pretendingit was by accident.
I am not suggesting that we should let children do whatever they want.Children need limits. But this does not mean we should see children innursery as little packages which need to be controlled by adults -socialised, processed through their learning goals and sent off 'readyfor school'.
Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, commented that toddlers are'working at a very emotional level. They should be told stories andallowed to sing and play. That's what will turn them into normalpeople.' While applauding this, I would go further. We are quick toassume that we know how to shape young children for the future, and wespend insufficient time trying to understand them in the present.Toddlers don't need to be turned into anything.
- Julian Grenier is head of Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children'sCentre, London.
