About Marsha Walton
It is pleasant enough to listen to children. They are often cute. If we listen selectively, we can reinforce cherished ideas about the innocence and sweetness of childhood. I’m not in this to detract from the enjoyment of cuteness or to shatter illusions about the nature of childhood.
I do, however, think there is much to be gained by taking children seriously and by listening to them with respectful curiosity about what they have to say. When I let children talk about what matters to them, and when I listen to that talk in an effort to learn rather than to teach, I often find myself humbled.