Page Chen, G12 陈沛铨

Over the past four years, I have been regarded as something of an anomaly — one of the few who chose to spend more time with children capable of turning the world upside down than with peers my own age. They would do all sorts of things we tend to label as “troublesome”: grab food from my plate, yank at my hoodie, squish ketchup across the table, or let out sharp, sudden screams right into my ear. And yet, their behaviors fascinated me. Why do children act this way? And how might we, if possible, truly understand them and guide them with care?

Now, it all makes sense. Squishing sauce is their way of exploring texture and matter; taking food from my plate is a bid for connection with older individuals — a behavior rooted in evolutionary instinct; pulling at my hoodie becomes a playful inquiry into social boundaries; and those piercing shouts? Perhaps their way of sharing emotion.

I have seen parents yell at their children to stop such behaviors, frustrated by the disruption. It reminded me that I, too, was once labeled a “bad kid” by my teachers. My grandparents raised me with a firm hand, instilling in me the importance of social graces. On one hand, I grew up polite and well-mannered. On the other, I often struggled to connect with peers, interpreting their spontaneity as disrespect. Now, I understand myself a little better.

Children are not miniature adults. They are like blank canvas. Before they learn what is acceptable and what is not, the canvas remains empty, waiting to be filled through exploration. In Chinese, we have idioms like “童言无忌” (children’s words are free of taboo) and “两小无猜” (innocent friendship between young children), which remind us never to interpret their world through an adult lens. Lev Vygotsky taught us that children internalize social norms through play, imitation, and negotiation. What may seem like “annoying” behavior is, in fact, rehearsal for real-world interaction. Jean Piaget, too, placed middle childhood within the Concrete Operational Stage — a time when children begin to reason logically about tangible events but often cannot yet grasp others’ emotional perspectives.

In fact, precisely because we are adults, we should try to listen to and understand their inner voices rather than shaming or judging. We should try to guide them, and try to give these significant practices for children to appreciate their own natures.