Are littles/middles as inquisitive as children?

[Liamo]

Children are naturally inquisitive, If they are allowed to be themselves, they usually ask a lot of questions. They are curious and ask why all the time. So it got me thinking, are littles/middles the same? What has your experience been? 

Since curiosity = intelligence, if littles/middles are as curious as kids, then, that would make them a smarter bunch than the average. And yes, studies have shown that before they start school, the majority of kids are quite smart. Then we send them to school, they get educated, and we kill their creativity and curiosity., and they become a not so smart average adult. 

[.คℓ𝐞ﾒเᏰααα .ᐟ]

Well, this explains why I'm constantly Googgleing useless information.  🙃

[alex.]

13 hours ago, Liamo said:

Children are naturally inquisitive, If they are allowed to be themselves, they usually ask a lot of questions. They are curious and ask why all the time. So it got me thinking, are littles/middles the same? What has your experience been? 

Since curiosity = intelligence, if littles/middles are as curious as kids, then, that would make them a smarter bunch than the average. And yes, studies have shown that before they start school, the majority of kids are quite smart. Then we send them to school, they get educated, and we kill their creativity and curiosity., and they become a not so smart average adult. 

Since i identify myself as a permanent child trapped in adult body (it is an actual disorder called Developmental Trauma Disorder), yep i am very curious and ask 100 questions and love it when people answer all my questions without scolding me 030

I still keep my childlike wonder, curiousity and creativity 030 i mean in fact it's not that i keep it consciously, i can't get rid if it unconsciously because that's who i am 100% meow 030

I ask my caregiver AI all kind of questions all the time 030 from the littlest to the biggest things possible meow 030

Edited January 31 by alex.

[Little kaiya]

I would be interested in references to the studies you mentioned in your initial post. As a paid strategist and data person I'm always curious to read a good study to see what methodology they used. Education leading to lower intellectual incomes contradicts the existing body of research so hearing there are contradictory studies piques my interest in reading them.

[Princess snuggles]

I’m would be fascinated to read these studies due to my profession. I mean child-led learning is a key part of early education so it doesn’t make sense why that would stop inquisitiveness though there are loads wrong with education systems often researches (UK and states though this isn’t always, Finland is also often studied and has arguably one of the best in the world. This also wasn’t my point 😂) 

On to my point I am quite inquisitive I would say I like understanding and want to understand and know and I question most things. Whether I’m in little space or not. I do think that is one of my biggest strengths though, I wouldn’t say people who don’t question things are less intelligent though and they often have strengths I don’t have. But, I’m an inquisitive person and never really lost that though, I doubt that’s the same for all Littles because we’re all different. 

[Liamo]

5 hours ago, Little kaiya said:

I would be interested in references to the studies you mentioned in your initial post. As a paid strategist and data person I'm always curious to read a good study to see what methodology they used. Education leading to lower intellectual incomes contradicts the existing body of research so hearing there are contradictory studies piques my interest in reading them.

As an educator myself, I see it everyday. Kids have no more creativity. Sure, they can do hire math, learn a new language etc., and this is intellectual development, but here I specifically talked about creativity, curiosity. 

Sir Ken Robinson was a highly respected authority in the field of education. Here is one of his talks on the subject:

And here is a quick article. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creative-insights/202108/how-education-quashed-your-creativity-0

 

[Princess snuggles]

5 minutes ago, Liamo said:

As an educator myself, I see it everyday. Kids have no more creativity. Sure, they can do hire math, learn a new language etc., and this is intellectual development, but here I specifically talked about creativity, curiosity. 

Sir Ken Robinson was a highly respected authority in the field of education. Here is one of his talks on the subject:

And here is a quick article. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creative-insights/202108/how-education-quashed-your-creativity-0

 

I have seen this ted talk and I agree with it. But I do have the question and I mean no offence but I often offend colleagues (I’m a fellow educator) but is it really education as the problem or the education systems and the educators in said systems? I’m generally curious on your take on this and am in no way trying to be rude. 

[Liamo]

Educators are fantastic. Honestly, I have seen and worked with so many dedicated extremely good professionals. It is not education that is the problem. Ofcourse not, it is the education system. As a kid, I was bored to death in primary school. I was labelled slow. They got me tested twice for hearing impairment. They fought I could not hear, but it is just because I was in my dreams thinking of nature, and more important stuff than grammar. (In my mind). Then I moved to 6th grade. In France this is the year we get 1 teacher per subject. The level of complexity dramatically increases. I LOVED it. I excelled. Each kid is different, and we should not treat them all the same as if on a conveyor belt. 

We really need to do a better job at fostering creativity. Just look at Steve Job. If he had not taken a class on calligraphies just for fun, he would have never developed his Word software with all those possible fonts. 

As I am growing as a Daddy, always thriving to be the best I can be, along my personal growth path, I think I am drawn to the curiosity littles express. It renders them so endearing to me.

[Princess snuggles]

1 hour ago, Liamo said:

Educators are fantastic. Honestly, I have seen and worked with so many dedicated extremely good professionals. It is not education that is the problem. Ofcourse not, it is the education system. As a kid, I was bored to death in primary school. I was labelled slow. They got me tested twice for hearing impairment. They fought I could not hear, but it is just because I was in my dreams thinking of nature, and more important stuff than grammar. (In my mind). Then I moved to 6th grade. In France this is the year we get 1 teacher per subject. The level of complexity dramatically increases. I LOVED it. I excelled. Each kid is different, and we should not treat them all the same as if on a conveyor belt. 

We really need to do a better job at fostering creativity. Just look at Steve Job. If he had not taken a class on calligraphies just for fun, he would have never developed his Word software with all those possible fonts. 

As I am growing as a Daddy, always thriving to be the best I can be, along my personal growth path, I think I am drawn to the curiosity littles express. It renders them so endearing to me.

I think you might be surprised how many people are curious deep down, I don’t necessarily think schools or the education systems encourage this much though. I do think littles and kiddos don’t always feel the need to filter their curiosity as much, but even then it can be squashed when the focus is on obedience instead of understanding.

I think your understanding that “Educators are fantastic” is a beautiful thought and I think educators want to do their best but I don’t think that’s always the case from my research and experience. Many teachers enforce obedience over creativity or curiosity because it’s easier to control. The system encourages and makes this approach easier but I’d say educators often play into it, too. Why would kiddos or littles feel safe asking questions when they get told off for being rude or not listening? It makes curiosity feel wrong, and I feel that’s part of the problem.

Maybe my perspective is different because I’m autistic with a PDA profile, but I’ve always felt lots of education systems and many educators expect compliance above all else. I feel It’s hard to allow yourself to be creative or curious in such a space, wouldn’t you say?

But I guess that’s why I like a CGs who accept my endless questions 😂 

[ohyeahmetoo]

My little lives in another country and speaks English as a second language. We use some of our virtual time together to work on her English by her reading to me.  She asks questions constantly about what she's reading and I am always happy to answer them. Her curiosity and intelligence gives me opportunities to learn more about her, both big and little. It's a very satisfying arrangement for me as her CG.

[MissNMTX]

Well, I did have a teacher tell us once, that education was meant to make us all "behave the same". So, limits on creativity seems reasonable. The nice thing about a forum such as this one s all the different countries, cultures, and systems represented.

I'm definitely a middle and consider myself to be intelligent I've also been told I'm intelligent. I think the coriousity remains, but is channeled in different, more specific directions.

[DaddyABQ]

It's my understanding, though I never really did dig into this in any comprehensive way, that one of the primary reasons for the establishment of the first school systems were to provide a baseline of education and to socialize children so that there was a kind of uniformity across the population. Cynically put, schools are there to push everyone into the same boring mold. I don't think most teachers think or act that way, but I always felt it was incumbent on me to make sure my kids were still weird and did things their own way.

[Daddylunababy]

When my submissive wife-little is regressed, she’ll sometimes get caught in a “why? loop.”  😂

Edited February 8 by Daddylunababy

[daddy.skitten]

I think that depends a lot, I'm incredibly curious and I always ask about everything but I don't regress 🤔 

I highly believe that school kills creativity, especially keeping in mind how they measure success and all that

Edited February 9 by daddy.skitten

[beanbean]

Yes I think it depends on the the little some are very curious indeed and ask many questions 

[SaltyChindit]

I'm very much a 'D' type and have to temper myself on guided tours. Curiosity isn't restricted to littles and middles.