Learning “From Nobody:” The Limited Role of Teaching in Folk Models of Children’s Development

Among the Western intelligentsia, parenting is synonymous with teaching. We are cajoled into beginning our child\u27s education in the womb and feel guilty whenever a \u27teaching moment\u27 is squandered. This paper will argue that this reliance on teaching generally, and especially on parents as teachers, is quite recent historically and localised culturally. The majority follow a laissez faire attitude towards development that relies heavily on children\u27s natural curiosity and motivation to emulate those who are more expert