To See the Individual

As a parent and as someone in the educational field I have been surrounded by children for many years, and it still surprises me how some people don't see children as individuals. Human beings who are unique in their abilities and personalities. We are not all created equal, as some see it. It occurred to me that most people some professionals in their field would lump all children into certain categories. Those who disrupt, cause havoc, and can seem heartless were said to be "bad" children. Those who should be put in a corner with no interventions.
Gratefully I have not been around a lot of people like this, unfortunately, they do exist. I have also met many children who these people saw no future or hope for. I chose to see these children for who they were. To look past they behaviours to usually see a child who just wanted to be loved.
The key was to look into what interested the child, to start bonding with them on their level. Using stories from when I was a kid or when my sons were little, or even a little understanding was more than beneficial to forming a bond. Most of these children have issues with trust, because of past histories with adults and peers this was huge progress to be able to obtain a trusting relationship. Sometimes this would take weeks, more times it would take months to build a relationship. Not only trust was a factor but structure and respect came into play.
I have encountered many people who see children lashing out at the people in their world and they become afraid and  criticise or blame both the child and or their parents. As a society, we need to look beyond what we deem socially acceptable and offer to see the child as an important part of society. Instead of looking the other way, offer to get to know them and maybe you may be surprised at what you will find.

                                           My son Chad with his cousin Emma, last summer.