If you observe closely, you'll notice that during a certain period, babies perceive everything as having life, thoughts, feelings, and the ability to act. That's why we often see children at this stage "having heart-to-heart talks" with pillows or "chatting" with dolls, teddy bears, and other stuffed toys...
The renowned Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget believed that young children, especially those aged three or four, commonly exhibit a unique psychological phenomenon known as animism.Animism is the tendency for children at this stage to perceive all things as living entities with intentions.
This animistic mindset can positively influence family education, yet it also presents significant challenges. What strategies should young parents adopt?
Strategy One: Use Personification to Address Children's "Tricky Questions"
Children are naturally curious.Starting around age two, babies begin asking all sorts of questions. Some answers may be too complex for their current level of understanding, yet we must respond to their inquiries. Otherwise, they may ask fewer questions or even lose their natural curiosity. We can indirectly answer their questions using personification, tailored to their psychological development.
Question 1: "Why does the moon follow me?"
"Maybe the moon likes you, so it follows you." This response satisfies a child's curiosity far more than saying, "You're too young to understand, even if Daddy explained it."
Question 2: "Why do fish have scales?"
"Just like you wear a swimsuit when swimming, fish need swimsuits to swim in water—their scales are their swimsuits."
Question 3: "Why does the sun go down?"
If you explain this using the relationship between the sun and Earth, or provide a scientifically accurate answer based on dynamics, children at this age won't truly grasp it. Instead, try this: "When night falls, animals go home to sleep, and Grandpa Sun also goes to sleep over the mountains." This response still provides the child with psychological satisfaction.
Strategy 2: Cultivating Compassion and Empathy in Your Child
For instance, parents can anthropomorphize objects to stimulate children's animistic tendencies, fostering empathy and helping them develop positive habits. When teaching children not to dirty walls or damage small stools, you might say:If the little stool gets knocked over, it will surely feel hurt; if its legs get broken, how uncomfortable it would be to walk!" After hearing this, children will pay close attention and may even wipe down the stool or dust off the walls. This way, good habits of caring for belongings and maintaining a clean environment can easily take root.Similarly, when teaching children to care for plants, animals, and other children, we can leverage their animistic tendencies. This helps them develop empathy toward people and objects, fostering compassion that makes them cherish others and things as they would themselves.
Reminder: Avoid telling children scary stories or letting them watch frightening movies or TV shows.Children at this stage are highly susceptible to animism, struggling to distinguish reality from fiction. They often confuse the ghosts, beasts, or robots depicted in picture books, films, or stories with real life. Lacking the analytical skills to process frightening imagery, they may believe such supernatural beings truly exist, leading to unnecessary fears and occasionally even hallucinations.Therefore, in addition to removing frightening or harmful content from language and images, we should also avoid exposing children to films or TV shows containing terrifying scenes. This approach fosters the development of courage, boldness, and fearlessness in children, ultimately benefiting their psychological well-being. Note: Do not intentionally or unintentionally exploit a child's animistic mindset to shift blame for their misbehavior.In reality, we often witness this scenario: when a child accidentally trips over a wooden plank, the accompanying adult will often comfort the child while instructing or assisting them to "hit" or "scold" the plank that caused the fall. Influenced by animism, most children will gradually regain inner balance after "punishing" the plank and achieving "revenge."This approach is actually problematic. It effectively absolves the child of responsibility, hindering the development of accountability. The truth is, the child's fall wasn't caused by the "obstructing stick" but by their own carelessness. The blame lies with the child, not the stick.