Play.... again

"Children are designed, by nature, to play and explore on their own, independently of adults. They need freedom in order to develop; without it they suffer. The drive to play freely is a basic, biological drive. Lack of free play may not kill the physical body, as would lack of food, air, or water, but it kills the spirit and stunts mental growth. Free play is the means by which children learn to make friends, overcome their fears, solve their own problems, and general take control of their own lives. It is also the primary means by which children practice and acquire the physical and intellectual skills that are essential for success in the culture in which they are growing. Nothing that we do, no amount of toys we buy or 'quality time' or special training we give our children, can compensate for the freedom we take away. The things children learn through their own initiatives, in free play, cannot be taught in other ways." - Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life by Peter Gray (p. 5)

Talk to anyone who has worked with children over a span of years and you will hear nearly every single one of them say, "I don't understand it. Children now are so different." And this is not different in a good way by any stretch of the imagination. Having actively parented and worked with children for over thirty years, I'm afraid I would have to agree. 

I don't sigh and shake my head as to the cause, though. I firmly believe it is that so many of them are missing the scaffolding for learning and functioning that large amounts of play (that would be play that adults keep their noses out of) creates and builds. If you've read here for a while, my views on okay won't come as a surprise. But I also know that"just a mom" without any impressive letters such as PhD after their name can be easily dismissed. So I always like it when I find my own thoughts bring written out by someone who studies these things and does have those three little letters after his name. 

I don't care who parents and school officials and anyone else who has input on how children spend their time listen to as long as they start to listen. We are breaking our children and soon we may have broken them beyond repair with our good intentions. The road to hell and all that...