Children Need Conscious Guidance, Not Teaching
Child related insights from Gene Key 7: Division to Virtue, by way of Guidance
In this post, I share my contemplations on sections of this particular Gene Key, because it contains insights for consciously raising children and promoting their natural learning & development. I share quotes from the Gene Keys book by Richard Rudd (in Italics) along with my own reflections (in Bold).
“True leadership, like true education, does not impose itself on anyone. It is the gift of being able to help others find their own way forward in life, rather than taking away their individual power. This is precisely what is meant by the name of this 7th Gift - the Gift of Guidance… people with the 7th Gift are strong supporters and implementers of schemes that allow individuals more power, creativity and autonomy at all levels of society.”
The mainstream education system imposes on everyone… it tells children what they should know and what they should think, it takes away control from parents as if to say “we know better”, and it permeates all of society with the forceful message “this is the way things are done”. This excerpt validates parents who take back their power and take the bold step to give their child an alternative education. In most cases, Home Educators have chosen this path in order to give their children and themselves more power, creativity and autonomy. And that last word - autonomy - is so key. I believe that autonomous/natural learning is true education, as is being spoken of here.
“To truly guide another person or group of people, you need to put aside your own opinions and judgments and listen intently to their needs. Great guides are great listeners. Sometimes simply by being listened to in the right way, a person finds the answer to their problem without direct input from the guide… It is this mid-range style of leadership (Facilitator) that corresponds to the 7th Gift. Facilitators, as the name suggests, make communication and implementation easier and smoother. People with the 7th Gift do not lead from the front, but guide the energy of the group itself.”
Yes… The words ‘guide’ and ‘facilitate’ naturally spring to mind when I consider my role in my daughters’ development and education. Teaching them or ‘being their Teacher’ does not work (believe me, I have dabbled!) and countless other parents I have met in person or online agree. Teaching asserts a dominant power dynamic - the ideal fit for a state school, as how else are groups of 30ish lively children going to be managed? Instead, many of us try to guide the child towards their own conclusions, solutions or actions. Real listening is certainly a skill I am trying to develop and there’s much more that can be done there. Again, this approach runs counter to most of mainstream society, where there is not generally space for or emphasis on listening to children; instead they are to be controlled and told the answers by the adults.
“Virtue is simply the unimpeded expression of nature through men or women living at their zenith.”
Remember this one for when we get to the final quote…
“Collective leadership is the stage beyond individual leadership in which leadership becomes an empathically shared energy field between individuals, thus bringing an end to hierarchy.”
I am excited that this is the future! Those of us flipping the power script around - guiding our children in their autonomous learning and growth - are at the cutting edge of this future evolution.
“Ultimately, the 7th Siddhi concerns the future, and the future is about children. As the 7th Siddhi flowers in humanity, one of the first places it will manifest is through parents and teachers. Children who grow up among virtuous people need no other kind of education or guidance. Even now, this small piece of information is the greatest key for parents. Children who grow up in the aura of true virtue will take that energy into whatever sphere of life they move through, and in doing so they will slowly but surely transform the future of our planet.”
So taken with the above definition of what Virtue is, what this is saying is that the best education for children is for them to be guided through life by adults who are embodying their higher purpose and living their life to the full. That is powerful, and turns the lens back on us to look at ourselves… Who are we? What are we doing here? What is our purpose, vision and values? If we are to give our children a true education then we must find out the answers to these questions, then strive to live in alignment with them every day, providing powerful models for our children.
