Kids don’t need schools

Hi there!

In this video I did a couple of months ago I explain that the ability for children (or adults) to integrate into a place doesn’t depend on whether the person speaks a language, visits a school or any other learned skill. It comes from within, like most things in life, and sending a child to school might even do more harm than good when it comes to things like socializing, fitting in, belonging etc.

The fact that I went to school where there were a lot of people around all the time didn’t make me be good at socializing, feeling integrated or easy to talk to others. It was quite the opposite. In environments where I was forced to go (school, tennis, camps etc) I felt most uncomfortable, insecure and out of place. On the other hand, when I had made my own choices like being part of the volleyball team or hanging out with my friends who I’d known since Kindergarten age etc, I felt part of the group and like I belonged without the need of having to change the way I was.

This continued being this way all my life. I always had a hard time walking up to people and starting a conversation. This changed when my daughter Lima was born in 2016. I didn’t even make a conscious decision of ‘getting better at talking to strangers‘, it simply happened because I wanted Lima to have friends. When she was 8 months old I started walking up to parents with young kids, talked to them, asked if we could exchange number to meet so that our kids could play and us adults hang out. This way I built a huge community in Barcelona and have done so ever since in every city we went to and stayed for a while.

When there’s a need or want for something people do it, they find a way. Not by being pressured, coerced or manipulated into doing it.

Trust and respect your child’s choices of what to do, play, learn and what not. They know best what’s right for them at a given moment. It’s more important that your child makes his or her own choices than him or her learning something that you consider important.

What do you think? Leave a comment below….