The Alter ego in children: an element that teachers should consider

It has always been said that children tend to be very sincere little people, that their responses and their way of acting are loaded with a lot of innocence, and which this is conditioned by the years, either by the conventions of society, by customs, by cultural traditions or simply for acting in a "measured and correct" manner in certain circumstances. The truth is that children are forced (many times) to stop being "authentic" and little by little they give room to "the alter ego"

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But! What is the Alter Ego?

As described by Linda Cruz, in her article: What Does It Mean to Have an Alter Ego?

"Alter ego" is a Latin phrase whose meaning could be something like "my other self" or "my alternative self" Source

Of course! This conception varies depending on the character we are talking about, in this sense we can mention many fictional or real life characters with alter egos, if we lean towards the world of fiction stories we can imagine a few super heroes, such as:

• Clark Kent, a newspaper worker and his alter ego in a blue uniform and red cape called Superman.
• The eccentric millionaire Bruce Wayne and his alter ego in a black suit called Batman.

In the world of entertainment we can mention:

• Madonna Louise Ciccone singer known to all as "Madonna"
• Even the singer Beyoncé has devised an alter ego called Sasha Fierce.

But beyond these characters of cartoons or singers, an ordinary person can welcome an alter ego that is not necessarily baptized with a name or physical characteristics in particular, the variant here is "the behavior that defines this alter ego".

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Can children really develop the Alter ego?

Maybe at this moment you are asking yourself: What need do children have to recreate an alter ego? if by the fact of being children they do not have to protect themselves from society.

Well, they are wrong! Children need to protect themselves from the demands they face every day and although even if they sound unfair, this start at home.

To be more exact, if we detail the demands that parents usually make to their children you will see that every wants:

Be good children
They behave well
Be good brothers.
Be good children.
Be good athletes
BE GOOD STUDENTS
Be good at everything

While there is nothing wrong with wanting their children to be good, the important thing here is the means their children use to achieve it, because when there is a lot of pressure and more demands are placed on the children's options emerge their "Alter egos".

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What would a child's Alter Ego look like at school?

Imagine a child who is required good grades at all costs, that the only purpose of going to school is "stand out academically over the others", what do you think are the options that are being given to this child ?

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In the best of cases, you can get a good group of friends who share the same desires, but if this is not the case? What do you think happens? Most likely, this child will feel a lot of pressure, stop sharing with friends for fear of wasting time playing, not rule out the

option of cheating to get a good grade or simply admit in their lives only children who are good students. When they get home, their parents will see the "alter ego" they have pushed themselves to create, but a part of this child will grow up with frustration, fear and many complexes.

What can teachers do to avoid this situation?

Teachers know that we can only contribute a grain of sand in the immense desert that is what will be this individual who comes to our classroom just being a child, however, we can make a big difference by showing another reality.

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First of all, we must make our students understand that they have value for the simple fact of being human and not for the qualifications they obtain, equality and respect are key points in education. It will make them better little people.

Another important element is to stress to them that the truth must prevail over everything, even when the truths imply giving bad news at times. It is better to be a sincere child that can improve, than to build a life full of lies that are supported by a character created to protect themselves and who will know when they are adults as their "Alter ego".

I hope this post has been to your liking and be taken into account in one of the most noble and rewarding activities that can exist "forming people".

Note:

Dear teacher, do not pretend to get perfect student, on the contrary, when you find a perfect student, worry and see if this child has created an alter ego.