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You may have heard people remark that children seem to be changing. They seem to be more aware, more intuitive and highly creative. They are doing amazing things in this computer age and are much more savvy than children of previous generations. However, with this brilliance, there is also an associated set of characteristics being displayed by the current generation of children. Children who do not focus, can't sit still, have trouble in the classroom … I am sure this sounds familiar. ADHD, ADD, autism and other such diagnoses are becoming so commonplace that people rarely bat an eyelid when the term is mentioned. Ritalin is being prescribed in alarming quantities as a method to help calm children and allow them to focus and concentrate. I often think back to my primary school days and remember one, yes, one boy who would be considered "naughty" by previous generations' standards. That "naughty" boy did not sit still in class, did not focus on tasks, he challenged direct authority, had lots of energy, was bored easily and often quite fiery and aggressive. He did not like the school system one bit. Today there are approximately 11% of our children displaying these very "symptoms" and 1 in 10 children are estimated to have some type of learning disorder. Could there be another explanation? Technology continues to advance at great speed. Have we, as people, evolved as quickly as our technology has? Is our modern environment contributing to the increase in behavioural, developmental, mental health and social problems? Theories from an evolutionary perspective suggest that our current mental health problems could in fact be the result of our modern environment and that perhaps our genes are mismatched to the current environment in which we live. We must also consider that perhaps some of our children are in fact demonstrating evolutionary characteristics. Is it just a coincidence that we have so many children who on one hand seem to have remarkable intuition and creativity, yet on the other seem to be so educationally challenged? Could many of the children diagnosed with ADHD and other disorders in fact be showing the characteristics of evolutionary change? Indigo Children is a term used to describe what many believe are the new generations of children being born on Earth. These children are said to be highly intuitive and often referred to as psychic children. The term "Indigo" first came to the attention of the majority of people when the book Indigo Children by Jan Tober and Lee Carol was published. The term Indigo is now becoming more mainstream with many teachers and health professionals, including doctors, psychologists and nurses, supporting the literature written and identifying similar characteristics. By no means should the term Indigo be seen as a label. Rather,it is a way to describe or identify their characteristics. Here are some of the most common characteristics of Indigo Children: · Majority born in 1970's · Have a warrior spirit · Difficulty with absolute authority/resist authority · Frustrated with systems · Like to be self disciplined · Will not respond to guilt discipline · Often have tempers and a fiery determination · School is often difficult for them · May become antisocial or seem withdrawn if not with other Indigos or people who understand them · Appear fearless · May get bored easily · Demand attention · Lots of energy, cannot sit still unless it is something they are interested in · Compassionate · Generally do not do well in school but show areas/flashes of genius Many researchers have found that children with these characteristics are often right- brained: they learn through the creative, spatial, artistic and physical. They are very visual but also tactile learners. Our current school system is more geared to the left-brained child, seeing and hearing. Indigos often see and hear the information being taught but don't process it and then the distraction sets in and we have the start of the symptomatic disruptive behaviour. It should also be pointed out that meditation helps synchronise the wave patterns in the left and right brain and helps the brain to communicate more effectively and function with more clarity and focus, yet it is only taught in a handful of schools. The concept of Indigo Children provides a different perception on how we view psychological disorders. It also raises questions regarding children's education, their nutrition and the environment in which they live. There are those that disagree with this phenomenon and as yet no scientific research exists to support it. It should also be noted that not all children with ADD or ADHD are in fact Indigo Children. There are children with genetic and chemical causes, and that not all Indigo Children display the full range of characteristics associated with ADD or ADHD, some may be both. However if any of this information rings true to you about your children, children you know or work with, or even yourself, it is certainly worth investigating. Many of the first Indigos are now parents with children of their own and applying this insight may help us to work out ways to make their environment more suitable. Science may have to accept that not all things can be measured, dissected, formulated and seen. There are some great resources listed at the end of this article that go into great detail about "Indigos" and provide some very valuable information on schooling, parenting, diet, and case studies and notes from health professionals. We must work together to not only understand how our children are evolving, but in assisting them to achieve their potential and how to survive while the rest of the world catches up. We need to examine the new teaching methods and parenting skills that will enable us to help them achieve balance and avoid frustration. New ways of teaching our children to incorporate whole brain learning need to be added to the curriculum and programs that support creative and intuitive children should be designed. Meditation, yoga and methods that are constantly coming into focus such as kinesiology and Neurolink need to be further explored instead of turning to medication. What is needed most of all is the mainstream population to consider that Indigo Children actually do exist and are not just a new age explanation for the misbehaviour and learning difficulties of the current generation of children. We need to consider that humanity is changing and that perhaps we are witnessing the emergence of a new set of human behaviours and with that the development of a new set of human attributes. Without acknowledging this and continuing down the same path, we can only watch as the childhood statistics keep increasing unfavourably. Here are some suggested resources On Indigo Children:
Note on the author: Amy Hamilton Amy lives in Western Australia with her husband and three children. A former primary and secondary school teacher, Amy now teaches meditation to children and writes resources and books to nurture children's spirituality. Amy has been practicing meditation for over 15 years and is passionate about it being introduced as part of the school curriculum, and feels it will help children to calm themselves and to cope with both evolutionary and technological changes. Amy has a Masters in Health Promotion, Bachelor of Education and Post Graduate Diploma of Health Promotion. She is an accredited children's' meditation facilitator and is trained in Reiki and Crystal Therapy. She is also a certified Angel Intuitive trained by Doreen Virtue PHD. Visit our website at www.indigokidz.com.au and check out our new range of Aroma-Dough. Aroma-Dough is perfect for children who are tactile learners and release pure essential oils to promote calm and well-being.
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