In just the past few weeks I�ve made an alarming discovery – children change our behavior. They dominate our attention, vocabulary, mannerisms, and tolerance. We are better people when there are children in our presence.
Maybe it’s the innocence that makes us shift gears and tone things down. Maybe it’s knowing that they might repeat what we say or imitate what we do. Maybe seeing a child brings back memories from our own childhoods or of the children in our lives (nephews, nieces, cousins).
By Karissa Kilgore,
Senior Staff Writer
In just the past few weeks I�ve made an alarming discovery – children change our behavior. They dominate our attention, vocabulary, mannerisms, and tolerance. We are better people when there are children in our presence.
Maybe it’s the innocence that makes us shift gears and tone things down. Maybe it’s knowing that they might repeat what we say or imitate what we do. Maybe seeing a child brings back memories from our own childhoods or of the children in our lives (nephews, nieces, cousins).
Maybe we realize that these children deserve to be recognized, since it’s such a rare thing for someone under 15 to be on campus…
Children change the whole balance of campus. Suddenly we, students, aren’tthe needy ones anymore. I�m astounded when I notice how the company of children changes the way we �tough college kids� act. While the behavior of students on campus is generally decent, it seems to improve when there are children around. I�ve seen them in the hallways lately, heard them running around, and I�ve even seen them in the dining hall. Each time I see a child, I notice a different energy in the people nearby.
This is not to say that people drop what they�re doing, slip into baby talk, and play patty-cake -but things get quieter sometimes, the language cleans up a little, anger dissipates, and people are generally nicer to one another.
We have the Child Development Center and the kindergarten on campus, but in my four years here at Seton Hill I haven’tseen too much of the children (except for when they go trick-or-treating in the school buildings – adorable!). What I wish, though, is that the children were around more often… just because of the way the change in demeanor of everyone in close proximity.
The Make-a-Wish Halloween event always reminds me of the importance of being around children. Even people who claim they �don’tlike kids� end up smiling when a pack of Ninja Turtles and princesses runs past giggling. It’s funny to watch some students drop their attitudes as they help a little pumpkin win a prize. It’s humbling, and I think every last one of us needs that experience. It reminds us that we�re not above these young ones, and that we were once that small.
It’s pretty easy to become isolated from the �real world� up here on the Hill. Seeing children, puppies, and large refrigerators can be very exciting. I feel more human by just looking at a child.
Remembering how simple things were does us good – from watching cartoons in �footie� pajamas, to waiting in line for the slide at recess.
At this time of the semester when we�re all a bit crazy, all �pressed for time,� and all in dire need of a day (or week or month) off, maybe what we really need is time with the little ones.
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