“There is a form of laughter that springs from the heart, heard every day in the merry voice of childhood, the expression of a laughter - loving spirit that defies analysis by the philosopher, which has nothing rigid or mechanical in it, and totally without social significance. Bubbling spontaneously from the heart of child or man. Without egotism and full of feeling, laughter is the music of life.” MenLifeHeartChildrenFeelingsFormSpiritSocialVoiceHeardChildhoodExpressionSpringLaughterPhilosopherUpliftingAnalysisSignificanceEgotismMerry Author:William Osler
“Childhood is analogous to language learning. It has a biological basis but cannot be realized unless a social environment triggers and nurtures it, that is, has need of it. If a culture is dominated by a medium that requires the segregation of the young in order that they learn unnatural, specialized, and complex skills and attitudes, then childhood, in one form or another, will emerge, articulate and indispensable.” IfsNeedsFormYoungOrderCultureLanguageSocialAttitudeEnvironmentChildhoodSkillsBasesComplexesMediumsNurtureIndispensableSegregationTriggersUnnaturalLanguage LearningSocial Environment Author:Neil Postman
“We have preachers and savants who dilate endlessly on the sanctity of family and childhood but who tolerate a system in which a casual observer can correlate a child's social origin with its physical well-being.” WellsChildrenSocialChildhoodWell BeingPreacherTolerateObserversCasualSanctitySavants Book:For the Sake of Argument: Essays and Minority Reports Source: For the Sake of Argument: Essays and Minority Reports
“There can be no doubt that the young of today have to be protected against certain poisonous effects inherent in present-day civilization. Five social diseases surround them, even in early childhood. There is the decline in fitness due to modern methods of locomotion; the decline in initiative due to the widespread disease of spectatoritis; the decline in care and skill due to the weakened tradition of craftsmanship; the decline in self-discipline due to the ever-present availability of tranquilizers and stimulants, and the decline in compassion, which William Temple called "spiritual death.” SelfCareTodaySpiritualYoungCertainSocialCompassionDoubtFiveModernChildhoodEffectsDisciplineCivilizationSkillsDiseaseTraditionMethodDuesNo DoubtTemplesSurroundDeclineProtectedInitiativeInherentSelf DisciplinePresent DayPoisonousAvailabilityEarly ChildhoodCraftsmanshipStimulantsSpiritual Death Author:Kurt Hahn
“The idea of childhood as a social invention, in retrospect, is hardly credible. In the Bible, in writings of the Greeks and Romans, and in the works of the first great educator of the modern era, Comenius, children were recognized as being both different from adults and different from one another with respect to their stages of development. To be sure, the scientific study of children and the increased length of life in modern times have enhanced our understanding of age differences, but they have always been acknowledged.” WritingFirstsChildrenIdeasDifferentAgeSocialUnderstandingDifferencesStudyModernChildhoodStageDevelopmentAdultsInventionErasGreekLengthEducatorCredibleRetrospectModern TimesAge DifferenceModern EraStages Of DevelopmentLength Of Life Author:David Elkind
“Each era invents its own child. Over the past 500 years, conceptions of the child changed gradually from an ill-formed adult who must be subjugated to society's goals to a precious being who must be protected from unreasonable social demands. Childhood has come to be seen as a special period of life, rather than as a temporary state of no lasting importance for adulthood.” YearsChildrenStatesPastSocialGoalChangeChildhoodSpecialChangedPeriodsDemandAdultsImportanceIllErasLastingTemporaryConceptionProtectedAdulthoodOver The PastUnreasonable Author:Sandra Scarr
“To be a social success, do not act pathetic, arrogant, or bored. Do not discuss your unhappy childhood, your visit to the dentist,the shortcomings of your cleaning woman, the state of your bowels, or your spouse's bad habits. You will be thought a paragon (or perhaps a monster) of good behavior.” StatesSuccessSocialChildhoodHabitBehaviorMonstersUnhappyBoredArrogantSpouseCleaningPatheticEtiquetteShortcomingsBad HabitsDentistBowelsGood BehaviorParagonUnhappy Childhood Author:Mason Cooley