Changing the Subject

It's a sacred, laden job to be given: teaching kids to communicate. Student clinicians who observed my therapy today asked me why I let the kids change the subject. I let them change the subject because their ideas are far more interesting to me than the ones I bring to the session. Yonatan wanted to talk about David Ben Gurion standing on his head. Shon brought a Tof Miriam, a simple tambourine, and planned a birthday party for it. All the kids knew it was pretend, and practiced their collaborating and conversation skills around the birthday party for Tof Miriam. Mem Fox, a teacher of children's writing, is quoted tirelessly, as wanting children's writing to "ache with caring". That is what I want for my children's conversations. I want them to move from topic to topic, touching upon this and that, until that sparked moment when they come upon something that lights them, flares within them and holds their interest in a heartdriven, real way. The way competent conversationalists chat, and suddently lean in towards each other with intent when they come to an issue that really matters to them. If I stick to my plan, the kids may learn the rules, I suppose. But if I loosen the reins, and let the conversation run free, I'll find out what their hearts are aching to share.