What happened to children between 9 and tenth30.05.24

Something especially important happens to children
between the ages of nine and ten. Speaking in an abstract way
it can be said that children learn to differentiate themselves
from their environment; children feel themselves as an “I,” and
the environment as something external that does not belong to
this “I.” But this is an abstract way of expressing it. The reality
is that, speaking of course in a general sense: the child of this
age approaches you with some problem or difficulty. In most
cases the child will not actually speak of what is burdening its
soul, but will say something different. All the same you have to
know this really comes from the innermost depths of the child’s
soul, and the you must then find the right approach, the right
answer. An enormous amount depends on this for the whole
future life of the child concerned. For you cannot work with
children of this age, as their teacher, unless you are yourself the
unquestioned authority, unless, that is, the children have the
feeling: this is true because you hold it to be true, this is beauti-
ful because you find it beautiful, and this is good because you
think it good—and therefore you are pointing these things out.
You must be for the children the representative of the good, the
true, and the beautiful. The children must be drawn to truth,
goodness, and beauty simply because the children are drawn to
you yourself.
And then between the ninth and tenth year a feeling arises
instinctively in the child’s subconsciousness: I get everything
from my teacher, but where does my teacher get it from? What
is behind my teacher? If you then go into definitions and expla-
nations it will only do harm. It is important to find a loving
word, a word filled with warmth of heart—or rather many
words, for these difficulties can go on for weeks and months—
so that you can avert this danger and preserve the child’s confi-
dence in your authority. For the child has now come to a crisis
regarding the principle of authority. If you can meet the situa-
tion and can preserve your authority by the warmth of feeling
with which you deal with these particular difficulties, if you can
meet the child with inner warmth, sincerity, and truth, then
much will be gained. The child will retain its belief in your
authority, and that is good for the child’s further education, but
it is also essential that just at this age between nine and ten the
child’s belief in a good person does not waver. Were this to hap-
pen then the inner security that should be the child’s guide
through life will totter and sway.
THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD from Rudolf Steiner

https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA311/English/AP1982/KinChi_index.html

Anonymous

What happened to children between 9 and tenth30.05.24

Information Epoch 1793806580