Kids say the darnedest things!

How the mind functions is astounding. The power we have to comprehend and understand never ceases to amaze me. But the minds that are the most incredible usually belong to those of children. They see the world entirely differently than, not only adults, but other children as well. You give the average adult a difficult situation and we will ponder, deduce and construct all the possible solutions. But we are limited by social norms, expectations and are resistant to imagination. Whereas children will look for a simple solution. They are not constrained by feelings of hesitation, acceptance or fear of failure. This was never more evident than an experience I had in a group activity with a four year old cherub in Small Town X. We were discussing various situations and how to problem solve with a group of kids ranging from 4 to 11. The scenario they were given was this:
You walk to school every day and go past a house with a large dog. Every day the dog barks and chases you down the street. What can you do?
Many of the older children began answering with options such as tell your mom and dad. Walk a different way to school. Talk to the neighbor. Then this tiny little girl with large adorable eyes raised her hand to answer. Once called on her answer was simple and precise. She said, "Well the dog is probably chasing you to eat you, which means he is barking to tell you he is hungry. So you should probably take a piece of meat with you to feed him." There you have it. The solution to this dog conundrum, bring a piece of meat to feed the dog. Because clearly this is all stemming from hunger and would be rectified with meat. This answer was fantastic! The delivery, flawless. Why is it that adults cannot approach the world and its dilemmas the same way? Not only did she address the problem she was having with getting chased to school, but took consideration for the dog and his hunger. Perhaps in a world filled with frustration and confusion, we should heed the council of those wiser than ourselves, even if that means we bring juice boxes to the meetings. Problem solve away, and remember what Walt Disney once said, "Our greatest national resource is the minds of our children."