Oct 26 2008
Samantha is four years old and loves to play with the younger children in the pre-school and almost always chooses activities and toys associated with very young children or even babies. Whenever there is a free play session she will invariably choose from the box containing things like stacking toys and shape posting boxes. Continue Reading »
Sep 23 2008
Like most self-invented symbolic play, Goethe’s act, as previously suggested, had meaning on many different, important and urgent levels, whereas play material created by others can only rarely fit so well the always-changing demands of the moment. Goethe’s play expressed his feeling that he had been thrown out; his wish that his sibling should be thrown out; his punishing his mother by throwing her dishes out. But on still another level, Goethe probably wanted to get rid of all the dishes, so that he would no longer be fed from them, or be expected to eat from them. His sibling was being nursed, and his play expressed also his own desire to return to an earlier feeding situation that his competitor was now privileged to enjoy, and for which he envied him. Continue Reading »
Sep 16 2008
While just this or that poor impulse,
Which for once had play unstifled,
Seems the sole work of a life-time
That away the rest have trifled.
In the days when parents and children played the same games, they shared a virtually automatic understanding of the purposes of play: to be both meaningful and enjoyable. This is still true concerning the most primitive, earliest, and hence most important play, that of the infant—and woe unto the child if it is not.
When a baby tosses a rattle out of his crib and his mother hands it back to him, in their moment of mutual delight the mother hardly notices the fact that in this new achievement, her infant is asking himself some very important questions: “Can I influence my objective environment without dire consequences to myself? Can I safely assert my will and manipulate objects without suffering for it? Can I rid myself of something that annoys me? Can I relinquish control of my belongings temporarily without losing them altogether?” Continue Reading »
Aug 14 2008
A child doesn’t want to be “kept quiet.” He needs and wants to do things that are important to him. For example, it is always exciting for the young child to investigate the contents of a purse—but nothing can compare with turning his mother’s purse inside out. Fascinating as adult secrets are in general, none are more interesting than those of one’s parents. The child is curious about the contents of his parents‘ drawers! What other people do, what they have, how they organize things—all these become important as the child begins to learn about the differences in how things are done by his family and how they’re done in other households. But first he wants to learn how things are done at home. Continue Reading »
Aug 09 2008
But even the magic of reading will not sufficiently affect many children if their parents do not place high value on “book learning.” The great emotional investment of parents in reading makes it uniquely attractive to their child, since then reading forms another link tying the parents closely to the child. I am sure that Jewish literacy was helped by the fact that it was customary on the day the child entered one of the yeshivas (Talmudic schools) for the father to carry his son, Continue Reading »
Jul 13 2008
It is perfectly natural for them to getdistorted ideas at times. Often they do this without realizing what they are doing. For instance, a little boy picks up a simple block of wood, probably of no value whatever. To his mind it has become a powerful engine, pulling a long line of cars. He plays with gusto, making all the appropriate noises and many more. His vivid imagination is at work.
All young things do this. Puppies and kittens run and tumble and jump, chasing after imaginary objects such as more mature animals would never do. They are forever running and climbing and scampering about. All this activity is preparing them for the time when they will be chasing real things, instead of merely running around in a world of make-believe. This is how they grow. Continue Reading »
Jul 13 2008
Every quarrelsome child has an uneasy feeling of guilt deep down inside of him. Scolding and punishing him may only increase his feeling of guilt, perhaps driving him into further misconduct. In dealing with the problem, try to see things from his point of view. Don’t let yourself become angry. Keep your head.
When a child has hurt another, it is often better to take him away from the other children for a while. This will give him an opportunity to cool down and pull himself together. Tell him, “You are not ready to play with other children just now. When you feel better, you can go back, but not yet.”
If a toy or other object has been used to hurt another child, take it away and do not allow it to be used for some time. This will help each of the children to learn the lesson quickly. They will realize that anger and quarreling are decidedly unprofitable, and they will help each other to avoid the same mistakes. Continue Reading »
Jun 26 2008
It’s the nature of young people to be critical of their parents at times and to feel that most of the misunderstandings between them are the fault of the parents. (A critical attitude helps young people to leave home eventually.) They have always complained, with more or less justice, that parents are out of touch with modern ways, that they are possessive and bossy, that they lack confidence in their children’s ability to cope with social and sexual crises; that they harp unnecessarily on certain issues, that they lack a sense of humour, at least in regard to parent–child relationships. Continue Reading »
May 12 2008
Are you nurturing your marriage?As you approach your child(ren)’s adolescent years, are you still on the same team as your spouse? Do you build one another up in front of the kids, or do you unleash verbal attacks for all to witness?
An intact, stable marriage in which affection and mutual respect are openly demonstrated is a valuable asset for raising teenagers. Adolescents learn volumes about relationships from watching interactions at home. When the teen weather is stormy, a united parental front will be very important in restoring calm and maintaining limits. There will be many occasions when one parent can help quiet a conflict between a teenager and the other parent—not by contradicting his or her mate but by supporting and reaffirming him or her. If either partner believes that your marriage needs a tune-up, by all means set aside whatever time is necessary to work with a counselor or pastor. Continue Reading »
Apr 04 2008
AGE 2 TO 3 YEARS
These activities provide experience of measuring short periods of time. At this age few children will be able to count beyond two or three, so we are not expecting to measure the time passed in standard units but rather to let the child experience a period of time in comparison with other things happening in his life.
What you need
Various egg timers, an hour glass. (These activities can be done either inside the house or in the garden.)
How to play
