I do love this. However I wonder where it ends? There are so many opinions and standards for when childhood ends (as a teen? (13?) as an adult? (18?) Reading lately on Duggar criticism has me thinking about our responsibility as parents to train our kids to know how to do all those grown-up things--like doing laundry, making food, cleaning up, etc. When childhood play is extended far into teenage years, this is not accomplished and a kid arrives at adulthood thoroughly overwhelmed with what it takes to function independently. I know it's a little off the topic of the article, but still somewhat related....I struggle with this as a close family member--as apparently many early 20-somethings are--is experiencing a complete psychotic break, stress related. Dr's are pointing at job, school, and social pressures as main culprits. :-( Makes me evaluate how I'm doing it all with my four....
The key is always balance. I think kids can have work to do, even work they don't like to do and still have time and freedom to be creative. If a kid can learn to balance duty and space for curiousity when they are young, hopefully that will help them maintain balance as adults? That's the hope.
I do love this. However I wonder where it ends? There are so many opinions and standards for when childhood ends (as a teen? (13?) as an adult? (18?) Reading lately on Duggar criticism has me thinking about our responsibility as parents to train our kids to know how to do all those grown-up things--like doing laundry, making food, cleaning up, etc. When childhood play is extended far into teenage years, this is not accomplished and a kid arrives at adulthood thoroughly overwhelmed with what it takes to function independently. I know it's a little off the topic of the article, but still somewhat related....I struggle with this as a close family member--as apparently many early 20-somethings are--is experiencing a complete psychotic break, stress related. Dr's are pointing at job, school, and social pressures as main culprits. :-( Makes me evaluate how I'm doing it all with my four....
ReplyDeleteThe key is always balance. I think kids can have work to do, even work they don't like to do and still have time and freedom to be creative. If a kid can learn to balance duty and space for curiousity when they are young, hopefully that will help them maintain balance as adults? That's the hope.
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