[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s a pretty full-on time for me at the moment. I’m in the thick of school concerts. That means there’s a lot of lining children up, getting them to remember the place that they are on stage (or wherever), keeping their instruments still – this is before the playing or singing even happens.

And this is what I’ve noticed….. I don’t seem to teach kids who are very good at solving problems. Not major problems – like world peace, or keeping Donald Trump from doing stupid things, but little things. Things like if someone is away, and there is a space next to them, to just move up. Or if someone forgets to give them a triangle beater, to go and get one themselves. Or if someone needs to get past them, they need to step forwards or backwards.

A lot of the kids I teach have experienced trauma. And it’s been scientifically proven that this will stop your brains from reacting in any way – it sort-of closes down. They can’t problem solve. This breaks my heart. But other kids I teach have not experienced this. And yet they can’t do it either.

I wonder… why is this? Is this because, as adults, we solve everything? We don’t let kids walk home from school, fall over, hurt themselves and have to sort things out? We don’t allow them to negotiate with their peers? We don’t just leave them alone?

I don’t have the answer here. And I don’t think it’s just one thing.

But it is something I’ve noticed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]