Growing up as a kid, I loved when my parents would sit with me and play with toys that interested me. Later, it turned into a hobby for me. I started playing with Legos. I would use my imagination to build. Eventually, my parents would get me the Lego set with directions. My mom would spend time helping me find the pieces and make them. I remember I would talk to my mom about my day more. My mother focused on me, not my other sisters. I started getting more Lego sets as I got older. One day I stopped building and grew a little distant from my mom. Later, I saw this Lego we both liked. We both went home and started making it together. We bonded and connected again, like when I was a kid. 

Now that I work with children daily in the early education field. One of the things we learned in class is following the children’s interests. I believe it’s essential to connect with things that the child likes. It helps build a bond between a teacher and a student. For example, I have a child Lucy who is really into animals. I noticed that after breakfast, she would find all the dogs and sit with them. I started to see more than she would read books with specific animals she knew. I would sit with her, and she would point to a dog. Over time, I would say them out loud; she started saying the word “dog.” Learning more about the subjects as a teacher, I can expand more on their learning. Help the child develop by talking about where they live, their size, or what noise they make. 

My thinking has changed from how I engage with their favorite subject. I believe following a child’s interest is essential to help expand their knowledge and build a relationship with them. It has personally allowed me to bond with the children more at work. How can I find more ways to click with them and expand their learning? Every child you meet it’s not going to be easy sometimes.