What Is the Purpose of Childhood?

[keilj]

Often when you hear people talking about sacrificing for their children, they talk about paying for piano lessons, losing time taking them to soccer practice, or working extra hours so they can send them to private school.

The point being, many parents feel the strong need to provide their children with things that they did not have as children themselves. In other words, sacrificing for one's children often, very often, means providing them with many of the things above - ballet lessons, a bigger house, horse riding lessons - what have you.

I think the intent is to enrich the children's lives and provide them with a fuller childhood. So, in a more philosophical approach - what is the purpose of childhood. For example, in a more perfect world, what would we give our children to enrich their childhood? I think merely listing things that we would like to provide for them is not enough. I'd like to get deeper, to the nature of what a good childhood should really be. And by doing that, perhaps we could discover what things we should provide for them to fulfill that purpose.

[Buh4Bee]

I think it is to have a good relationship between the dynamics of the family so the child is able to function as an independent and well-adjusted adult/citizen in a society.

[blazeofglory]

Often when you hear people talking about sacrificing for their children, they talk about paying for piano lessons, losing time taking them to soccer practice, or working extra hours so they can send them to private school.

The point being, many parents feel the strong need to provide their children with things that they did not have as children themselves. In other words, sacrificing for one's children often, very often, means providing them with many of the things above - ballet lessons, a bigger house, horse riding lessons - what have you.

I think the intent is to enrich the children's lives and provide them with a fuller childhood. So, in a more philosophical approach - what is the purpose of childhood. For example, in a more perfect world, what would we give our children to enrich their childhood? I think merely listing things that we would like to provide for them is not enough. I'd like to get deeper, to the nature of what a good childhood should really be. And by doing that, perhaps we could discover what things we should provide for them to fulfill that purpose.

This is a deep thought indeed and I too feel we are making slippers in the name of caring children. That is more so in the western society where materialism is sweepingly swaying almost all. Children need to be provided for and they need some others things, emotional needs. Imagine a family wherein parents always fight over petty things and their children are never cared for and their emotional needs never get addressed and as a result they feel emotionally deprived and of course I second the opinion of the OP that they must be provided for something other than heaps of material commodities since they are not the be all and end all of life.

[osho]

Today as Blaze of Glory said all these "pathetic children", I call them pathetic since their situation is pitiable in a broken family, need emotional things, not heaps of commodities. The impact of your gifts, expensive things is short-lived. Parents must understand their sentiments and must learn to behave accordingly

[jajdude]

It's a good question and one actually I have never even thought about.

All I can say is that if childhood is a mess, so is the adult.

[keilj]

Yes, and I am not trying to attack materialism. Because I didn't to want to bias the discussion that way.

Another consideration is, with the various activities and camps and so on, are parents ending up monopolizing too much of their children's lives with these things. In some cases, it seems like they are even making the children grow up too fast with all of these responsibilities - which again, may keep the kids from fulfilling the real purpose of childhood - whatever that may be

[Paulclem]

Isn't childhood a state of being rather than a process? You are or you aren't a child. In those terms it has no purpose.

All the things that go with childhood may have a purpose such as an education.

[cl154576]

You are or you aren't a child.

But the boundary is very vague.

[keilj]

All the things that go with childhood may have a purpose such as an education.

Bah - I didn't even go to school until the 6th grade.

[Silas Thorne]

Isn't childhood a state of being rather than a process? You are or you aren't a child. In those terms it has no purpose.

All the things that go with childhood may have a purpose such as an education.

:iagree:

What that guy said.

[cafolini]

I would have to say that I don't know The Purpose of Childhood. To ask that question is like asking What's your Favorite Book, or Who Was the Greatest Writer in History. I don't think there is one line of thought in my mind regarding that. I think it has as many purposes as children might have and all children are different in that regard. I think it has to do with gowing as much as possible in whatever a child decides he/she wants to grow for. It has not a thing to do with materialism being bad. It has to do more with the relationships that the family can provide in the way of communication. It has to do with health in the relationships. That is too broad a subject to have a formula. I could write a book about it.

[Bluehound]

Its a very interesting question.
In the natural world it is a basic and much quicker proses. Of turning from a small defenceless creature into an adult that can hunt,feed and reproduce itself. It is gaining weight and strength , learning to survive.

What we do is similar but we have made it much more complicated and drawn out. As recently as two generations ago, children were sent out to work to find partners and get married as young as 14, now parents are still looking after their children into their mid twenties.
Whatever the purpose of childhood was, we have lost sight of it.

[TheFifthElement]

Funny, I always thought the 'purpose' of childhood was to resolve the logistical difficulties in birthing a fully grown, experienced adult.

[PoeticPassions]

I think that, if we are going to evaluate childhood through the lens of a "purpose," then we also have to relate it to the larger question of what is the purpose of life?
And that's a question to which I have no objective answer, or an answer that fits every human being.
But if we look at life as progression of stages toward an ultimate end, then childhood would be one of the first stages in that progression. As such, childhood would then be a time for exploring, learning, developing the "love map" and the brain, and preparing for puberty/adolescence (unless of course, and very unfortunately, one does not make it to that phase).

I think that a good childhood would involve curiosity, love and affection, some discipline, adventure, and a lot of laughter and mistakes. Mistakes that might be reprimanded, but in such a way that the child will feel like it is okay to make mistakes sometimes, and that it is okay to fail, so long as they learn and try harder the next time...
Or something along those lines.

But I do agree that childhood isn't really a process as it is a state of being in (or during) which several processes occur at once.

[virginiawang]

I was given to my grandparents after I was born, and I was taken to their home directly from the hospital. One of my father’s machines that worked for making false teeth broke, around the moment I was born, so my father became firmly convinced that I would damage him or his career one day in the future. My grandparents took me back to their home. They lavished their love upon me as best as they could, to a degree that nobody could have imagined, so I had everything I wanted, needed, not wanted, or not needed, before I evinced a voice. Grandpa considered me as a queen, among all the adults and children, all. He dispelled all the other children, for example in a part of a campus, to let me play gladly.

I think the reason why the childhood is important is because it never leaves my mind, and it stays with me till now. I love grandpa.

[The Comedian]

As a parent of two young kids, I try to create a childhood for them in which they see a stable family that works and plays. I try to keep an environment that is both restrictive and free, offers safety and experimentation, demonstrates love and responsibility. . . .

As the father of two girls, I'm extra mindful of the role I play as what a "good man" should be: how he treats others (especially women), how he helps out, how he loves, how he plays, how he works, how he expresses himself.

In the long run, I hope that my girls will look back on their childhood with fondness and understanding, that it provides a foundation upon which they can model their lives and families (if they choose to have one). I hope that they'll find valid fault with some things that my wife and I do, as all children will, and that they'll be better than I am because of it. I hope that their childhood is happy. . .but more than just happy, "meaningful" I guess.

[Serena03]

The purpose of childhood is to prepare for adulthood. These additional activities, may be a parent's way of testing a child's commitment, making them stronger and gain dedication, direction and stability towards the bigger significations of life(which those significations may vary). Now what's the purpose of adulthood? Possibly to learn from childhood, it's an endless cycle of learning from past and moving forward from it.

[MarkBastable]

. He dispelled all the other children, for example in a part of a campus, to let me play gladly.



...er....

[Vonny]

As a parent of two young kids, I try to create a childhood for them in which they see a stable family that works and plays. I try to keep an environment that is both restrictive and free, offers safety and experimentation, demonstrates love and responsibility. . . .

As the father of two girls, I'm extra mindful of the role I play as what a "good man" should be: how he treats others (especially women), how he helps out, how he loves, how he plays, how he works, how he expresses himself.

In the long run, I hope that my girls will look back on their childhood with fondness and understanding, that it provides a foundation upon which they can model their lives and families (if they choose to have one). I hope that they'll find valid fault with some things that my wife and I do, as all children will, and that they'll be better than I am because of it. I hope that their childhood is happy. . .but more than just happy, "meaningful" I guess.

Such lucky little girls. :) The material things, (beyond the basics) whether they are provided or not, are insignificant.

In the long run, you will be "lucky," as well.