With
this warm weather and spring around the corner, I am thinking about the magic
of play and childhood. Maybe we do not think of this enough for our kids or
grandkids. Maybe. I hope I do, but I know I need a refresher now and then. I
also want to make sure I remember the magic of childhood and not let it slip by
me.
Two
weeks ago, in one of my speech classes, the students had to write and deliver a
eulogy. It could be for someone they lost or a pet or even an inanimate object.
Students are often very clever with their eulogies. Once a student did my
eulogy! It took me a minute or so to catch on, but it was very clever. No, I
didn’t mind one bit, and it was kind of nice hearing it before it is actually
needed! I keep a box of Kleenexes available when we do this. Sometimes I am the
only one weeping in class, other times all of us just sit there weeping. One of
my very favorite, and saddest, eulogies was a student who was mourning for his
lost childhood. This one was different and caught me by surprise. It also sent
me to the box of Kleenexes.
Childhood
is so short and so fragile and full of magic, if we will encourage it and let
it be available to our youngsters. Bruno Bettelheim, child psychologist and
author, once said, “Play teaches the child, without his being aware of it, the
habits most needed for intellectual growth, such as stick-to-itiveness, which
is so important in all learning.”
Probably
most of you reading this column grew up with play. The stoops of our houses
were always littered with jacks, skates with keys, hula hoops, pogo sticks,
doll baby carriages, marbles, and with bikes tossed on the lawn ready for the
next adventure. Never did we stay inside. There were a couple of reasons for
that. First of all, we loved playing outside. Maybe I should say it stronger,
we could barely stay inside. The second reason always did the trick when our
mothers said, “If you can’t find something to do, I will find it for you!” How
many times did we hear that? Usually, it meant washing dishes or dusting. That
alone was enough to send us outside until dark.
While
walking to Trine the other rainy day, I noticed the sidewalk full of earthworms.
I had to laugh as I gingerly walked around them. When my boys were little, they
couldn’t wait for the earthworms to appear. It meant a good day of fishing was
upon them. They gathered all of those worms and put them in containers just
waiting to go fishing. I am sure their elementary teachers were a bit taken
back when they arrived in school with their worms in containers, but they all learned
to appreciate and understand them. One day, armed with worms and a sunny day,
Aaron declared he was quitting first grade because he had more important things
to do. (Fishing was what was most important!) I called his first-grade teacher,
Rita Deller, to discuss this with her. She was brilliant. On Monday she told
Aaron how much she would miss him if he left school, and all the stories he
brought to his classmates. Needless to say, he stayed in school until college
graduation.
One of
my favorite children’s books was written by Alice McLerran, “Roxaboxen.” In this
story the children make up their own little village and stories. If you have
kids, I highly recommend this book. I have read it to all the grands and
purchased their own copies as well. One day, Jonah came running into my house
telling me he had found “Roxaboxen!” I was thrilled of course. He invited me to
see it, so we just hopped on our bikes to find this secret place of his. It
was, indeed, a perfect “Roxaboxen” right in town.
Bettelheim
also says that it is important for us to let children choose their own play.
They may even play differently than we might choose, but don’t we choose enough
for our children? Let them choose their clothes, their play, their own ideas.
Just let them play.
Childhood
is so lovely. It should be full of magic and stories and faeries that linger on
the lawn at night.
Now, if
you will excuse me, I have a bit of playing on my own in my backyard.
