Children can Go Ahead and Play:

Boy!  That's a load off my mind.  I was afraid maybe the children couldn't play any more; but apparently, it'll ok if the children go ahead and have unstructured, non-educational, non-creative play--just like we used to have when I was a kid.  It must be ok to do that again because the major group of pediatricians in America has said so in a study just released.  We can go ahead an let kids be kids! 

 

I really do believe that we have gone through a period where many adults, heavily influenced by educators, politically correct experts, sensitivity gurus, and psychological counselors, have believed that everything children do has to be intentionally calculated to teach a lesson or a skill or have some inter-personal, sociological value.  Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that children learn a lot of these skills in the course of good, old-fashioned play!  Well, well!  I think our parents and grandparents and their grandparents probably knew all that a long time ago.  We've tried to make kids grow up and be like us!  And there's something kind of incongruous about a twelve-year-old trying to act like an expert anchor-man on the "Evening News!"  Don't laugh!  I've heard them try to do it--and they weren't playing!  Maybe we'll actually begin to learn that some things just have to take their natural course without our manipulation and overly sensitive scrutiny!  Why, maybe they'll even come out with a report in a few years that will allow guys to take out their natural aggressions in ways that will prevent drive-by shootings--or, are we going to continue to expect essentially unisex children?  Well, I won't push my luck too much with *that one!