Despite my own strong belief in teaching young people grit, resiliency, and courage, I wondered about the logistics and feasibility and just how this would go over in an American setting.  As Holzer reports, the teachers have to deal with temper tantrums and emotional breakdowns. There is homesickness. There is also the need to stockpile candy as a way of distracting young campers when they want to go home. But, kids are learning some amazing things about self-reliance. Students bring Swiss Army knives.  Holzer notes that one group of students camped on an island even though many didn’t know how to swim.  For most Americans, this is a somewhat crazy concept. Yet, the tradition “traces its roots to Friedrich Frobel, the 19th century German educator who created the concept of Kindergarten and coined the term.”  Generations of Germans have had this experience at a very young age. Frobel made a lasting contribution to western education in so many ways, but his philosophy that “children should play freely in nature and learn from everyday experience” is something that modern educators need to revive.  One German educator notes, “Parents these days don’t have faith in their children. They can accomplish so much more than their parents think.”

 

Although some parents may disagree with this approach (which I respect), I would love to challenge parents of younger children to experiment with giving your child a bit more responsibility at home.  See what chores and tasks they can take on for themselves.  Try to give them a bit more freedom on the playground to learn on their own.  Try not to bail them out of a situation in which they can learn a valuable lesson working an issue through on their own. It is usually tougher on the parent who has to watch than it is on the child who is learning both confidence and courage. Most often, children will also tell you that it a lot of fun.