Spontaneous Joy

I've been reading Teaching Children Joy on and off for awhile now. Its a wonderful book written by Linda & Richard Eyre. There was one point they made in the very first chapter and I find that it keeps coming to my mind so I thought I'd share. The title of the first chapter is Preserving the joy of spontaneous delight. For those of you that have children or are around them a lot, or if you remember being a child or if you are still a child at heart, you will know that children love spontaneous things. The world is still so new to them and many things are exciting and surprising to them. As adults we fit into this comfortable mold that is "proper" or "customary".  When we fit the mold, the door to spontaneousness closes. As an example--when we go out with the children and they make a loud, wild noise we hush them and say not right now. We are teaching them to fit into our social mold.
Allow me to quote the book-- "There is often a paradox in adult minds. On one hand, we admire spontaneity; we speak of the free spirit, the unconventional, with at least a lingering trickle of envy. On the other hand, we associate maturity with words like sophistication, reserve, and proper. Too often parents convey the inhibitions of "the other hand" to their children...We let our own inferiorities and inhibitions stamp out the spontaneity in our children, and we let our schools and institutions do the same thing. If we are not careful, it becomes harder to preserve and protect in our children the joys they were born with than to teach them new ones."
I'm guilty of this and I suppose that's why I've been thinking on it...I hope to mend my ways and allow the children the joy that comes to them from trying something new. I know when I do something spontaneous I feel often feel joy. The book advises: get excited with children, do spontaneous things with them, place enough value on spontaneity that you let it happen even if it's a little inconvenient, engage in play that produces excited and unpredictable results, etc. One example--your child changes direction to go walk in a puddle. you think oh no, change of outfit and say 'stay out of that puddle'. Instead take off your shoes and start jumping in it yourself!

Here's an example of Bence's spontaneous behavior--today he got into my sock drawer and came out with his pants pulled up to his knees and my toe socks on. I thought it was funny and what I wish I had thought is 'Why didn't I think of that?!'  A few days ago I put my robe on and found that it was heavier than usual. I came to discover the pockets were filled with matchbox cars. I just had to grin. Linden loves spontaneous behavior, especially random noises. Sometimes I'll make a noise that I guess he's never heard before and he'll start giggling like its the funniest thing in the solar system. Though many days its hard to see these wonderful, joyful things children see, I'm trying to see them and create them. I love the little things they do and the things they think are fun. They are so quick to forgive, they love so easily, and serve so readily. Would that I could be more like them.