Child Development and the Greek Muses ( Continuation )

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Terpsichore - "she who enjoys dancing," muse of choral song and dancing, often represented with a plectrum and lyre.

Studies have shown that dance can help children's physical, emotional and intellectual development. Mind and body are closely connected, one feeding off the other. It is no wonder why they are portrayed together in many renowned painters' work. Movement combined with music is inspirational and conducive to good posture and flexibility. Children with cerebral palsy, ADD, depression, learning disorder, as well as deaf an blind children, have shown improvements in their condition through the use of music therapy.

The cognitive benefits of dance include learning about one's body and how it moves and relates to its surroundings. Dance can nurture cognitive development with tasks assigned in learning experiences. Say, for example, a teacher asks a child to draw a circle in front of them and in the air. The child will need knowledge of the concept "curved", of the frontal region their bodies face, and how to make the movement using a body part. Through dance the child gains an understanding of aesthetics, which involves how the elements of dance are combined into expressive patterns that expresses their ideas and feelings. The process of making a dance also involves cognitive development through motivating the use of creativity to invent different ways to express thoughts and emotions.

The four to five year old should have developed the balance and and coordination o a grown-up. They should be able to stand on tiptoes, walk and run and spin in circles. By this age children should be able and strong enough to perform somersaults, long and high jumps.

Terpsichore in her transcendental aspect represents the manifestation of life, conscience and matter on their evolutionary return to their common spiritual origin.

Polyhymnia - "she of the many hymns", the muse of religious hymns and sacred poetry. She is often depicted veiled with a meditative facial expression.

Religion for the young child is imitative and beliefs are held without any critics. Initially, there is little concern for consistency between beliefs, conduct and effects as children are first trained to follow a religious practice by their parents or educators rather than to choose their own creed. As children grow older, their enhanced intellectual abilities and social skills present them with questions of a deeper level in their attempt to understand their faith. Older children will maintain the creed taught to them in the home, church or school environment depending on their individual needs and perceived importance of the religion. Several studies have shown that it is highly unlikely that children are able to create, develop and perfect their individual religious life that responds positively to their emotional and psychological needs.

But, do children need religion? Based on my experience, parents seem to believe that the religious component is vital in the education of their children, even though they themselves may not be particularly religious. A child can be raised without religious education and not be worse off for it. For religious theists religion provides support for their daily lives as it offers an explanation about who they are and their role in the great scheme of things. Atheists may not teach the same principles taught by theists and yet there seems to be a lot in common in their teachings, the difference being that precepts are not based on any deity's commands and the child is not made into a naive and manipulated followers. As Richard Dawkins states: "Innocent children are being saddled with demonstrable falsehoods. It's time to question the abuse of childhood innocence with superstitious ideas of hell fire and damnation. Isn't it weird the way we automatically label a tiny child with its parents' religion?"

If children are to be taught religion and theism, they should be exposed to at least the major religious systems until they have reached the emotional and cognitive maturity to pursue their own path. The word religion comes from the Latin term 'religare' ( re-bind ), which could mean re-gaining connection to an internal or external superior power. Many of us may strive to understand the concept of religion in a broader and yet less daunting and confusing sense, which is an individual process that cannot be prescribed. In that regard, children should constantly be motivated to achieve self-sufficiency and formulate their own ideas with a view to attaining a fuller sense of identity and harmony; within and without.

Polyhymnia represents the driving mystical force that compels us for transcendent experience.

Urania - "the heavenly", is the muse of astronomy, which in ancient times encompassed astrology and the practices related to metaphysics, divination and psychology. She is dressed in a cloak embroidered with stars and keeps her eyes and attention focused on the Heavens. Those who are most concerned with philosophy and the heavens are dearest to her.

Experienced teachers know that children are born natural philosophers. Contrary to most adults, who have their minds overburdened with baggage that undermine their impersonal thinking, children approach philosophical subjects with unobstructed intuition and an open and clear mind. Moved by their need to understand themselves and the world they are adjusting to, kids are constantly inquiring. No topic is off-limits for discussion and they rarely back off from a challenge of mental nature.

Many educators assume that children are complete ignorants about nature but at he same time tremendously curious and inquisitive. Therefore, it would seem natural that children would be overwhelmingly grateful to be shown the scientific reality of nature. Matters are not to simple, though. The inquisitiveness with which most children begin kindergarten must be constantly reinforced if it is to be retained. The usual and unfortunate fact is that by the fourth grade such curiosity is considerably diminished. However, by this age children have built up their personal framework of hypothesis and theories that explains how their surrounding environment operates. If we want them to replace their views about nature by a scientifically more plausible theory, we should discuss frankly with them the reason to do so and at the same time discuss with equal candor why we should accept their views. Otherwise, we will fail to to get them to think and to participate eagerly in intellectual pursuits.

Helping children in their philosophical quest is not about providing them with answers; and they will resist. They want to feel able to think matters through and arrive at the answers themselves. Its is not that they willingly reject our answers; they just want to think for themselves. They want to be active participants in the investigation and share their experience of discovering how things work. They want to feel that they belong to an investigative community.

How to welcome children to the world of ideas and discover philosophy? How to prepare the child to be a receptacle of Urania's influence in his/her future philosophical endeavours? If you want to conduct a debate with a group of young philosophers, here are a few very important suggestions to keep in mind:

• Sit in a circle. Becoming part of a circle gives them a sense of belonging as they can see everyone paying attention to their ideas. It also makes it easier for them to speak to one another in the give-and-take process of the philosophical dialogue.
  
• Star with quiet time. Sitting in silence greatly helps children's mind to calm down making clear thinking easier.
  
• Never make fun of what someone says, unless a smile or another signal indicates that the speaker intended his remark to be funny.
  
• Avoid generalizations. Statements such as "all educators" or "it's a well-known fact" can be intimidating. The goal is allow children to expand their own minds.
  
• Be sure to clarify a word's meaning. Children can be shy to ask as they often assume that the others understand. Now and then replace unfamiliar words such as "verbalize" with descriptive expression as "talk about."
  
• Children may find certain ideas difficult to be expressed in words. Use tools other than words to stimulate their imagination, inspiration and investigative skills such as literature, art and music.
  
• Last and far from being least, help them to apply philosophic theories to their everyday lives, the best way to give philosophy a staying power in their souls.
  

Time has become a valuable commodity for me as it is needed for research and to work on maintaining and enhancing the content of childrenpedia and its blogs. Your financial contribution is vital to help give continuation to this important project. Thank you kindly for your support!

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Child Development and the Greek Muses ( Continuation )

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Erato - "Awakener of Desire," plays the smaller lyre and is the muse of love and erotic poetry and of mime - non-verbal communication. In her more esoteric and cosmic aspect, Erato represents polarization and the force that compels the extremes to carnal and spiritual union to achieve completeness and unity.

Child sexual development can be both confusing and embarrassing for both children and adults. They want to give children information but not too much. Children develop at different rates, bu there are actions that seem to be common at certain ages. It is therefore of utmost importance that parents and educators have an overall understanding of childhood sexual development as such knowledge will empower them to help their children achieve healthy sexual development. In general terms, these are the normal stages of a child's sexual development: birth to two years old - babies as old as three to five months may touch their private parts . For children, touching their private parts and masturbating is calming and relaxing. They do not feel the same way as adults do when engaged in such acts. They recognize that there is a difference betwenn male and female, these being related to body parts, to expectations from society and to the way they are treated. Two to five years old - children learn to dress and undress. May children love to be naked. They may be interested in seeing how other look under their clothes, which is a normal behaviour. The problem is when they want to get undressed all the time and too often engage in sex play with other children. Boys and girls masturbate as a natural way of exploring their bodies and it also helps them feel relaxed and calm. Children at this age will begin to use language to name their body parts and functions. Children may be more comfortable using slangs, which can whether confusing as they may mean different things to different people or embarrassing, depending on the situation, if they don't know the right words. Therefore, it is important for them to know the correct words as they need to be able to communicate with doctors, teachers and caregivers. Six to nine years old - boys and girls look noticeably different. By the end of this time, some girls may begin the first stages of puberty. Pimples, oily skin, sweating and the need of deodorant become a problem. Although signs of sexual development, children don't see them that way but rather as a cause for embarrassment. Children learn a lot about sexuality at this stage and engage a lot more in the use of sexual language to insult or to show others what they know. In these years they understand the mystery that surrounds human sexuality and the importance of appropriateness of sexual behaviour. Ten to twelve years old - the sexual development is very active as they continue to be curious about sexuality. Some girls start having periods and their breasts begin to develop. Boys' voices change and they start growing pubic hair. During these times of new physical urges and rapid body changes, they become inquisitive about this new reality. Although both children and adults may feel embarrassed to discuss to explore these subjects, it is good for both to talk about sexuality as well as it is good for the former to enhance its understanding through education and exploration.

In times when child sexual abuse and victimization is a growing concern in the minds of parents and educators, it is important for our children to know how to cultivate their sexual energy so that they can enjoy its full benefits. How wonderful it would be to see more parents involved in the sexual education of their children, which often is relegated to the child's school and friends. Ancient mystical traditions have taught the western world that proper cultivation of this "gift from the gods" has a high impact on other aspects of the human being - physical health and longevity, development of high quality feelings such as love and compassion and a significant enhancement of the intellectual and spiritual energy. Again, the muses are nine in number and one in essence as their offices are all intertwined. Hail Erato!!!

Melpomene - "The singer," muse of tragedy. She is portrayed holding a tragic mask or sword, and sometimes wearing a wreath of ivy and cothurnus boots.

Violence may have unforeseen and tragic effects on children. The death of a close family member or pet can devastate a child. Acts of violence and tragic events have an overly negative impact on different levels including individual, family and community. While material losses can sometimes be substituted or reconstructed, psychological harm does not heal as easily. Despite children's inborn resilience, acute stress reactions are normal following tragic events. The often intertwined contributions of economic, cultural religious and community factors have an enormous impact on child's response to stress. Children who have experienced trauma feel a loss of safety and trust. The world, as they know it, is no longer the same and they suffer from emotional and physical insecurity. As a result, they may feel overwhelming fear, powerlessness and a loss of control, which creates a state of emotional and cognitive turmoil. It takes time before the reality of the event finally sets in. When that happens, an array of overwhelming reactions foloows such as fear, rage, despair and loss. Children should be allowed to experience and express emotions at their own pace. They should be met where they are emotionally and not be told to move on to the next stage or told to "get over it." Bringing order to this mix of scary memories is important in working with children dealing with trauma and loss. Tapping into the children's systems of belief may provide a source of significant comfort, even though severe trauma may temporarily or permanently cause a victim to lose faith in her spiritual beliefs. This is a normal reaction and in many cases a temporary change that reverses itself over time.

Children's responses to trauma should be understood. Reactions to trauma typically vary by age and developmental level and should be viewed within the context of the social-cognitive processes occurring during each developmental stage. As mentioned previously, children are often overwhelmed by their feelings after a traumatic event. As a way of coping, many children suppress these feelings in the hope that they will go away or because they feel unable to cope with them at the time. Unexpressed emotions may emerge in unexpected ways. Helping children to acknowledge and express their feelings can help in their healing process. These stress reactions vary depending on the developmental stage of the child, the level of exposure to the stress and the type of exposure. Efforts should be made not to "over-medicalize" the normal reactions of children to these events. Infants to six years old - preschoolers engage in imaginary thinking, develop fears of separation and rejection. They believe that the images portrayed on TV represent events occurring close to home. They have difficulty in understanding others' points of view and may mistakenly think that the event is their fault. They may exhibit sleep problems and 'clinging behaviour' ( refusing to leave their caretaker's side, worrying that something bad will happen ). Seven to eleven years old - children within this age range acquire the ability to consider others’ viewpoints. However, they may not understand the full impact of a traumatic event. They can display inappropriate or unpredictable behaviour, deny affect and focus on details. Bed-wetting, thumb sucking, baby talk, and withdrawal may be observed. They often become fearful, confused, and anxious following a traumatic event. School-related issues are also common, such as lack of concentration, refusal to attend school, aggression, increased defiance, and hyperactivity. Children of this age are particularly focused on their own and their family’s safety, paying close attention to parents’ anxieties and concerns. Finally, children may experience loss of interest in activities and participate in repetitious traumatic play in retelling the story.

Melpomene acknowledges and values the dark side of our existence, which she honours through her rulership of elegies and tragedies. She knows that when mortals willingly open their hearts and minds when entering the darker realm of life, they not only become stronger but wiser and more aware of themselves and of their potential for achievements.

Clio - "giver of fame", muse of history. Also considered to be the source of inspiration for public and professional success. She is represented holding an open scroll or seated beside a chest of books.

She is the scholar and investigator who is aware that from recording our past we learn from both our mistakes and successes, which enables us to build a promising future.

As parents, it could not be furthest away from our minds what our child's career choices are as we are mostly concerned with the child's school performance and development of basic social skills through play and interaction with his/her friends. That does not mean, however, that career choice is a subject to be ignored during the child's early years. From an early age children should be motivated to consider the following topics:

• What do they enjoy doing?
  
• What do they want to be when they grow up?
  
• Do they understand how different jobs make up the society that they live in?
  
• The importance of being an active and constructive member of society.
  
• The results of not being a positive and constructive member of society.
  

The child, however, may or may not have the mental capacity to consider all these issues. Another important thing to pay attention to is the child's natural talent for something, which unfortunately is a major factor often ignored by caretakers and parents. the child should not be discouraged from exploring a certain career, even if you think it is not the right one. Opportunities should be created for a child to meet with people engaged in different occupations. The child needs to be continually motivated to pursue excellence in whatever they show interest in and are good at. However, she/he should not be overburdened with career concerns, otherwise it could have a negative impact on his/her career choice.

Clio represents the drive that compels us to put our talents and skills to work as a contribution to a stable and better society and thereby she grants us with pleasant and motivating feelings of self-fulfilment.

Time has become a valuable commodity for me as it is needed for research and to work on maintaining and enhancing the content of childrenpedia and its blogs. Your financial contribution is vital to help give continuation to this important project. Thank you kindly for your support!

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Child Development and the Greek Muses

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Who Were The Muses?

The muses were of divine parentage, the nine daughters of Zeus ( king of the Olympian gods ) and Mnemosyne ( goddess of memory ), fruits of nine consecutive nights of love-making. These representations of the human genius were not only unsurpassable singers, whose chorales delighted the gods in Mount Olympus; they were also personifications of arts and sciences, presiding therefore over human thought in all its forms: History, Mathematics, Astronomy, Eloquence, Philosophy, etc. But there is more...

The Muses Within

Many of us are intrigued, if not fascinated by Greek Mythology and its legends that have survived to our days. The powerful influence of Greek mythology in several areas of knowledge is proof of its long-lasting legacy to the modern society: literature, arts, sciences, Philosophy, and Psychology... Because the ancient Greeks had a deep understanding of the human nature, their way of thinking and mythology have become very important in the field of Psychology. Even the ancient Greek thinkers interpreted their myths as having figurative meanings and formulated their own theories and conclusions. Sigmund Freud borrowed from Greek Mythology in his studies of human psychosexual development, hence the term Electra complex and Oedipud complex. The Swiss psyhiatrist Carl Young also relied on Greek mythology to justify his belief in the inborn recurring ideas present in all men which he called archetypes. Jung believed that these archetypes were psychic structures common to all men, and because of these structures the mythological themes came to be. Accordingly, not only did the Greek deities represent powerful immortal beings but also universal and psychic forces inherent to the human nature. It is this subjective aspect of the Greek divinities that will be on focus when studying the relationship between the Muses' attributes and the innate potential of every child to achieve self-realization and success.

As above-mentioned, the muses are present in all of us in their archetypal aspect. Although their "offices" are intertwined, one or more of them can make their influence more noticeable than the others, which explains for the distinct aspirations and natural talents from one individual to another. Being divinities, they only bestow their gifts upon those who seek to develop their understanding of themselves and/or of the world. It is therefore of utmost importance that the child is raised in an environment conducive to the development of his/her higher possibilities.

Calliope - "She of the beautiful voice", the head of the muses associated with the full moon. Muse of epic ( heroic ) poetry and literature, particularly of eloquence in writing and speech. Calliope is always seen with a writing tablet in her hand. At times, she is depicted as carrying a roll of paper or a wax tablet or a book or as wearing a gold crown. Communication and leadership are her attributes and gifts to mankind.

Preparing children for leadership begins at home where children receive the motivation to participate in a wide variety of home and community activities. They should be encouraged to get involved in the selection, planning, execution, and evaluation of family activities; ranging from a day at the zoo to a vacation overseas. Youngsters should also be encouraged to plan, initiate, and complete a variety of self-evaluated individual projects. Discussion about current events and other topics foster independent thinking and nurture leadership potential. Parents who listen openly and thoughtfully without expecting children to embrace their social, political, and economic views are demonstrating leadership characteristics. Mutual respect, objectivity, empathy, and understanding are highly valued by gifted young people, particularly those who need a safe place to test their ideas. Opportunities for decision making at an early age will help to foster the critical reasoning skills necessary to be an effective leader. Inappropriate decisions by children and youth may enhance future decision-making skills when self-evaluated.

You may eventually notice that your child is a natural leader. The child needs to be a good subordinate by understanding the responsibilities and importance of the position before becoming a good leader, who must strive for unity and harmony between the two parts. In essence they are only one because they are interdependent and therefore meaningless without the other. Remember, the muses are nine in number but one in essence. Ignorance of this reality exposes the misguided child to the snares of arrogance and despotism, the very opposite of what this muse inspires on those who are receptive to her influence.

From the very start, infants pay close attention to language. In their first months babies will respond to speech by looking at the speaker, respond differently to the voice of a parent than to other voices, react to changes in a speaker's tone, pitch and volume, communicate with boodily movements and attempts to imitate sounds. Taking the child's age as a reference, the speech development progresses, in general terms, as follows: sixth moth - double syllable sounds such as 'mumum' and 'dada'. 9 to 10 months - babbles tunefully. 1 year - babbles 2 or 3 words repeatedly. 18 months - use of many intelligible words. 2 years - joins 2 - 3 words in sentences. 3 years - constantly asks questions and speaks in sentences. 4 years - questioning at its height. many infantile substitutions in speech. 5 years - fluent speech with few infantile substitutions. 6 years - fluent speech.

If you see your child displaying a liking for writing, that could be an indication of a natural talent for this art. Most of us take for granted the power of the written language, this wondrous tool that allows us on different levels of aptitude to materialize on paper the grandiosity of the abstract concept and almost-living entity called human thought. Literature exerts a compelling force on our surroundings and on other people; therefore the talented child can turn out to be either a weapon of destruction or an asset to society depending on its natural inclinations and his/her upbringing. A broad education, exposure to all aspects of life and the habit of meditation will add to the child's inner treasure and help him/her get the most out of his/her literary talent.

Euterpe - "Giver of much delight", muse of lyric poetry and music whose attribute was the double-flute. She is not only the muse of music but is also the representation of sound in its mystic and creative aspect of shaping the 'spiritual matter' that originated the physical universe. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

Scientific evidence shows that babies are receptive and respond to music and different sounds inside the mother's womb. Newborn quickly learn to recognize their mother's voice. Toddlers love to bang on pots and pans, searching for that certain beat that they play over and over again - their way of expressing their emotions. Euterpe's office is of crucial importance to those of her sisters as extensive research has shown that exposing children to music stimulates their overall intelligence and emotional development. In addition to improving creativity, learning music cultivates many skills that will continue to be useful to your children throughout their lives. These are some of the skills that taking music lessons and listening to music help develop in children: self-confidence - the act of learning and playing an instrument, the encouragement of a teacher and the enthusiasm of a proud parent, will build in a child a sense of pride and confidence. Besides, children who practice self-expression and creativity often become better communicators later in life. Patience and perseverance - in order to learn a musical instrument, children must develop patience and perseverance, which will help them later in life when they must tackle other more difficult challenges. Concentration - learning a musical instrument will help the child develop concentration, as they must focus on a particular activity over extended periods of time. Developing concentration in this way also will help them when they must focus their attention on other subjects at school. Relaxation - music therapy is being increasingly used to complement more traditional forms of medicine. Researchers acknowledge that certain types of music can aid relaxation by lowering heart rates and blood pressure. Researchers also have found a significant relationship between music instruction and positive performances in such areas as: listening skills, reading comprehension, oratory and spelling ( Calliope ), mathematics, primary mental abilities (verbal, perceptual, numeric) - Polyhymnia , spatial and motor skill ( Terpsichore ) and their natural sense of joy ( Thalia ). Just put on a CD and see for yourself what's been known for ages: kids love to perform and enjoy themselves. As human beings, music is an inherent part of who we are, and exposure during a child's first years can have meaningful effects on their general well-being that last well into their adulthood. With the rise of the Internet and the proliferation of high-tech jobs that require computer skills, there seems to be less interest in music and arts education. Fortunately, while all this is happening, several studies by experts in the field are demonstrating that studying the arts — particularly music — can actually help develop skills necessary when learning about computers.

Thalia - "The festive" the muse of idyllic ( bucolic ) poetry, she rules comedy and awakens the spirit of playfulness, humour and celebration. She is often depicted carrying or an ivy wreath or a shepherd's staff.

Before a child develops a sense of humour, smiling appears in the sleep of one-week old infants, which results from some spontaneous activity in the central nervous system. The first wakeful smile occurs within two weeks. By the end of the first month a fully awake smile occurs in response to the caretaker's voice and touch. A genuine sense of humour begins to develop in the second year when the child can engage in fantasy or make-belief behaviour. The preschool child's verbal humour reflects attempts to create humour from reality. They share their understanding and control of words and their double meaning. Riddle becomes very popular and by the tenth year they may take on an aggressive or "sick" humour as the child tries to make them more complex and fit their enhanced cognitive growth. Around the time of puberty, humour becomes aggressive and sexual. The inner Thalia helps the child or adolescent to be in control of anxiety in the face of unfortunate events by making fun of those involved. By adolescence. an increased capacity toward more elaborate intellectual humour should be evident. Parents need to accept that some humour shown by children may be "objectionable." These sick or aggressive jokes reflect the developmental concerns of children . The humour will change as the child grows and becomes more sociably responsible.

Play is so important to optimal child development that the United Nations has recognized it to be every child's right. Through play Thalia allows children to use creativity while developing their dexterity, imagination, physical, cognition and emotional strength. It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them. It allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fear while practising adult roles. As they master their world, play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resistance they will need to face future challenges. Play is integral to the academic environment as it ensures that the school setting attends to the emotional and social development of children. It has been shown to help children adjust to the school setting and even to enhance children's learning readiness and problem solving skills.

Time has become a valuable commodity for me as it is needed for research and to work on maintaining and enhancing the content of childrenpedia and its blogs. Your financial contribution is vital to help give continuation to this important project. Thank you kindly for your support!

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