from the years of relaxed play. As thought increasingly kicks in, their
life becomes more complicated. When this begins to happen, we can help
them tremendously by introducing them to the importance of periods of
stillness in their life during which they make sense of their experiences,
feelings, and circumstances.ALLOW ROOM FOR STILLNESS IN YOUR CHILD’S
SCHEDULE
As a child develops mentally, an aspect of the ordinariness of life is that
it involves considerable aloneness. Unless we allow our children to
become comfortable with quiet aloneness, they become strangers to
themselves, alienated from their essence. When this happens, whenever
they are left to themselves, they are uncomfortable and may even feel
desperately lonely. With no one to fill the void with noise and distraction,
they find themselves face to face with the absolute stillness of their being
—a frightening experience for someone who is unaccustomed to resting
in their essence.
It’s helpful to encourage our children to sit in stillness, so that they
learn to exist in a state of quiet without the need to converse. Periods in
the car are great opportunities to create such a space. To this end, it may
be beneficial not to take gadgets or videos in the car, especially on day-
to-day rides, which is when the greatest opportunities for stillness arise.
Of course, if we are going to be traveling for hours, having a video, toys,
or games doesn’t hurt at all. However, on a daily basis, when we are in
the car, it’s good to drive without the radio on. It can also be good to
resist the urge to sing, make meaningless conversation, or play game