Dear Aunty Aidan,

I'm worried about the ever-increasing levels of noise in our society and the fact that my child is constantly bombarded by such racket. Any suggestions?

Turn it Down a Little

Dear Turn it Down,

You are right to be concerned about this important missing link in today's society: silence. Montessori noted how sensitive children are to the notion of the absence of sound and that it brings peace, healing, joy, and truth thus revealing the richness that may be found within the context of a great quiet. Silence is that fertile place in which many things grow and flourish including an awareness of everything outside oneself.

Model the practice by turning off your devices, shutting off the background music, closing your eyes and consciously making note of the sound of your own breathing. Don't be afraid to stand still in the park and listen for the croaking frogs, the buzzing bees, the trickling brook even the traffic noise and the voices of other people; but be careful - the words interrupt the experience. Each time you turn it down a little, your child (and you) will hear what's beating in your hearts.

Aunty Aidan

P.S. Check out the chapter "Filtering Out the Adult World" in Payne's Simplicity Parenting.