In this recorded session, facilitator SPEAKER A leads a small group of children (Alana, Sankara, Marwa, Magat, Amaru, etc.) through a close reading of Kahlil Gibran’s poem “On Children” from The Prophet. The facilitator asks the participants to read the stanza aloud, then guides them with high‑level questions about its meaning. The discussion explores several core ideas: (1) children are not owned by their parents but are “the sons and daughters of life longing for itself,” (2) children develop individuality over time, (3) the transition from being physically and biologically connected to the mother (in utero) to becoming an independent person, and (4) the age at which children begin to assert their own identity. Participants share personal observations, such as when they noticed their own younger sibling expressing self‑direction, and give examples of children seeking popularity versus authenticity. The facilitator repeatedly checks for shared understanding, summarizes emerging ideas, and ends the session by reflecting on the value of grappling with complex, perhaps unanswerable, questions. The tone is conversational and supportive, encouraging the children to voice their thoughts while gently steering the analysis toward the poem’s philosophical themes.
Chapters
Okay, which case we'll get started. Last time we began working on a poem and we kind of rushed through it, and Alana was not here, but everybody else got a head start on this poem. But I thought we would continue with this poem to see if we can make more sense of it. Alana, could you read this first section of the poem, please?
The very top line or just the paragraph?
The whole thing, everything in the text, in the chat.
Everything?
Yep.
Okay. Anshul?
Is that only me or can everyone see?
I think she froze. I think she froze. Because all of you are still moving, she is frozen. Ironically, just when she gets started, she freezes. Alana, are you back?
Yes.
You froze, so would you mind rereading it? Hopefully you won't freeze this time.
Yes. And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, speak to us of children. And he said, your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. And though they are with you, they do not— they yet belong not to you.
Okay, well, um, some of us— the rest of us looked at this last week. This is new for you, Alana, but I'll start with a high-level question. What is this stanza of this poem saying? What is this poem saying?
I don't know.
Okay, so let's just start with the title. It's "On Children." Is it fair to assume that the poem is going to be about children somehow?
Yes.
Okay, I always just like to check and make sure we're all reading titles in the same way. "And a woman who held a babe against her bosom." Last week I explained what bosom means. Does anybody remember what bosom means?
Yeah, it's, um, breasts, I think.
Yeah, a woman's chest, uh, including her breasts. And so basically the idea is, um, a woman is holding a baby on her breasts. Does it make sense?
Okay.
And then somebody, we're not sure who, says "Speak to us of children." I think that's pretty straightforward. Somebody is telling her— or no, wait, let's see. I guess what's not clear to me is, is she saying, "Speak to us of children," or is somebody saying to her, "Speak to us of children"? And I guess she is maybe asking him to speak to us of children, because the next piece is, "And he said." and he said might be the Prophet, because that's the— this is from a book of poems, I believe it's from a book of poems called The Prophet. And he, presumably the Prophet, said, "Your children are not your children." What does that mean?
I mean, you don't own, you don't own it. It's just something that somebody gave to you.
Okay, so somebody gave children to you and you do not own them? Is that how you would put it?
No, I mean like you don't own the person, it's just somebody you take care of for a while.
Ah, I see. So you don't own your children, you just take care of your children. Is that better? Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah. Do the rest of you agree with Sankara's interpretation?
Yes.
Is it fair to say that your parents take care of you but that they don't actually own you?
Yes.
Amaru, are you saying no?
Yes.
So Amaru, do you think that your parents own you?
Yes.
I see. Well, maybe they own you, but Alana and Sankara are saying they don't. Your parents don't own you?
Yes.
Okay, let's get more and see if the whole thing makes sense. They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself. What could that mean? Go, Sankara.
They want to do stuff by themselves. Like, they don't want to always be like them, right, relying on you. Like, yeah.
So them being the children, that is, children want to be themselves, is that what you're saying?
Yeah.
Let's check in on with that. Do you guys— do all children want to be themselves?
Yes. Yes.
Go ahead, Sankara.
It depends. If they want to be the cool kid, um, then I guess they don't, because there was a child who left our school, um, a couple of years back, and he was always acting cool, except then we had to do our own family day, and then the, the parents acted like how he acted at home, and then Yeah, it was different.
So I'm— I heard your story, but I'm not quite processing it, Sanghara. Are you saying that this kid did not want to be himself?
No, he wanted to be the popular kid.
I see. And being the popular kid is different from wanting to be himself. Is that what you're saying?
Yeah.
Got it. Okay, that's interesting. So I'm, I'm still thinking of children wanting to be themselves, different from their parents. Wanting to be a popular kid is a different thing still, but I want to go back to babies. Do you think babies want to be themselves, or are babies kind of happy being part of their mom? Go, Ilana.
I mean, I'm not sure what a baby would want to do, but I think that it doesn't really know anything So maybe it would just like to be with someone like the mom or the dad or something like that. But as it gets older, I think it would want to be itself.
Got it. And Sankara's in the queue, but first I want to check in. I know you have a younger brother, Ilana. Do you know roughly at what age your young— your younger brother started wanting to be himself? Was it at 1 years old, 2 years old, 3 years old?
He started talking and like doing his own things at like maybe age 2.
Do you think that's when he wanted to be himself?
Start like, yeah, I think so. Like just started to develop his personality and stuff like that.
Got it. Go, Sankara.
I think babies, even though they don't understand what it's I think they don't understand what it is to be themselves. I think all they want to do is explore the new world that they're, that they're in because they want to learn something new.
Okay, so when they're first born, they just want to explore the world they're in because they're new. You have a— do you have a sense, Sankara, at what age do children or do babies begin to want to be themselves as opposed to just exploring the world? So 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6?
I started when I was 1 and a half, 2, but I didn't know about many other kids because most of my friends have older siblings instead of younger ones.
So you think you wanted to be yourself around age 1 and a half or 2?
Yeah.
Okay. Marwa, do you have any idea at what age children want to be themselves?
No.
Okay. Are you still 7 or did you turn 8?
I turned 8.
Okay. But is it fair to say that by the age of 7 you definitely wanted to be yourself?
I—
4.
4 years old.
4 years old is when you wanted to be yourself?
Yeah.
Okay. Magat, do you know how old children are when they want to be themselves?
I think 3.
3? Okay, lots of different ages there. Um, thank you. So I'm gonna get the next 2 sentences. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. What does it mean they come through you but not from you? Go, Lana.
Like, it's like, I guess they come from— it's kind of complicated. Like, they go like you're their parent, but it's not like from only you.
Okay, and I look forward to hearing the complications, but let's get Sankara first. Go ahead, Sankara.
I think it means like you and like your, your, um, children, like you don't stay together forever. It's just like a short while while they're growing up, and then—
Okay. Um, so there are— so Could you just say it again, Sankara? I'm trying to summarize what you said, but I'm not quite clear enough to summarize it.
It kind of means like they're always there, except when you, when you're— you and your child were together, it was just a short while while they were growing up, and then they would go off on their own lives.
Okay, so at some point when they go off on their own lives, so when you guys grow up, you'll all definitely be separate from your parents. Would you say right now you're kind of partially separate from your parents or totally separate from your parents? How—
I would, I would say children around my age are starting to get the feeling of being more independent.
You're starting to get the feeling of being more independent? Okay.
Like last week, I woke up myself and started making some bacon. And stuff.
All right, so when you can make your own bacon, you're pretty independent, huh? Um, so I want to check going way back, you know, when a baby is in her mom's belly, in her uterus, are babies part of a mom then, or are they their own person then? Go ahead, Magat.
I think he's a part of his mom.
Okay, when they're in the belly, they're part of the mom. Go ahead, Marwa.
The same as Makot.
Okay, um, how about you, Alana?
Um, I mean, then I guess they're kind of part of the mom, but they're also developing their own, like, body and, and, like, their features. So maybe it's partially connected to their mom. I mean, they're connected to the mom, but they're making their own self.
Okay, so you would say even in utero they're beginning to create their own self?
I mean, not like personality, maybe personality, just in features and looks.
Okay, features and looks. Go ahead, Sankara.
Um, I think they're not— they are They are themselves, except they rely on their moms for survival.
So you would say they're completely themselves?
No, not completely. They still, they still like, um, they're still like part of the mom, except, um, except they, except they are kind, they are kind of knowing themselves.
Got it. So you're saying they're both part of the mom but also beginning their own individuality even from an early age?
Yeah.
Okay. And Alana was saying physical features, they're already developing their own physical features. Sounds like Alana's not sure about personality. Do you think, Sankara, they're already beginning to develop their own personality in utero?
Only really advanced kids.
Advanced kids are developing their personality in utero?
Yeah, like something from The Matrix movie.
Okay, um, The Matrix is an interesting reference. Um, cool. Well, um, yeah, I wanna, I wanna just debrief this session. Um, so I want to ask Marwa, what was the best thing and the worst thing about today's conversation?
Nothing.
Nothing good, nothing bad?
Yeah.
Okay. Um, how about you, Alana? What's the best thing and the worst thing about today's conversation?
The best thing is being able to talk with you guys again, and the worst thing was nothing.
Okay. Magat, what was the best thing about our conversation And what was the worst thing?
I think all is best.
Okay, totally cool. And Sankara, how about you? What was the best thing and what's the worst thing about today's conversation?
I think the best thing was that, um, that we got to have the conversation as a full house. And the worst thing was that, um, We still haven't worked out your question.
Excellent, thank you, Sankara. I would agree, I think the best thing was we got to have a conversation as a full house. That was fabulous. I also think one of the best things is I like the subtle distinctions some of you are making about this path to individuality, how children go from being part of their mom to being a completely separate human being, I think is really interesting. And Sankara, you're right, we didn't figure it out because I think it's a complicated thing to figure out. Does it seem fair that there's some things that are hard to figure out and thus not quick?
Yeah, I think there's some things that even people like Stephen Hawking, who sadly died, can't figure out.
Absolutely, absolutely. But I like getting— all of you to think about these things, even if we can't figure them out. So is it okay if we think about things we can't figure out necessarily?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay. Okay. In which case, thank you everybody for joining. Have a wonderful week, and I hope to see you next Sunday. Bye-bye.
