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With the holidays in full swing, the generations are coming together – young adults are home from college, children are spending time with grandparents, and in some lucky families up to four generations celebrate as one. A big part of time spent together is sharing and telling stories – but it's not only the kiddies that learn from the so-called grownups. Indeed, as we can see from these five initiatives, there's a lot to be gleaned from cross-generational collaborations.
What have you learned from a child? Tell us in the comments below.
1. FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES
The message from this clip is a beautiful juxtaposition, contrasting the stark differences between self-perception and how others see us - particularly between parents and children. First, a group of women is given a simple task: describe yourself as a mother. After each woman answers, lamenting her own shortcomings, she is shown a clip of her own children describing why and how much they love her. Certainly shows that it's not always the adults who are the teachers.
2. LEARNING FROM OUR ELDERS
In most world cultures, learning from our elders is held in high regard. But today – especially in the West - this practice has all but fallen to the wayside. The Amazings are on a mission to change that by providing a wide variety of online classes taught by dynamic individuals over the age of 50. Classes range from knitting and embroidery to retro hairdos and mosaics, and boast an informal, laid-back, cross-generational atmosphere. What would you like to learn from someone older and wiser?
3. THE HOPE OF A NEW GENERATION
In this striking Brazilian social experiment, a group of adults were asked how they imagine the future of the world. Their answers ranged from terrible to worse - with responses predicting an increase in wars to the complete destruction of the planet. But when shown videos of their children talking about their hopes and dreams for the future, a poignant point was made – there is still time. The video is part of an independent project which drives home an important message with a cross-generational angle: positive impact is within our grasp - and the first step is change of perception.
4. MOTHER-DAUGHTER ARTIST TEAM
Artist Mica Angela Hendricks has an unlikely but brilliant business partner – her 4-year-old daughter Myla. The two embody cooperation and the creative spirit, with the mother drawing a face and the daughter completing the body and the rest of the sketch. Through the collaboration, which can be found on The Busy Mockingbird blog, Mica learns about the liberating feeling of letting go of her work and watching it head in a completely different direction.
5. INTER-GENERATIONAL TUNES
While there's plenty to be learned from the differences between generations – specifically children and parents – sometimes it's worth focusing on what binds us, too. This infectiously happy video features a tiny tot and this dad performing Don't Let Me Down, and teaches us that music can indeed transcend age and time. Especially if it's The Beatles.
