Play Permits The Child To Resolve In

To Be Told That Our Child's Behavior Is "normal" Offers Little Solace When Our Feelings Are Badly Hurt, Or When We Worry That Hisactions Are Harmful At The Moment Or May Be Injurious To His Future. It Does Not Help Me As A Parent Nor Lessen My Worries When My Child Drives Carelessly, Even Dangerously, If I Am Told That This Is "normal" Behavior For Children Of His Age. I'd Much Prefer Him To Deviate From The Norm And Be A Cautious Driver!

This Is Exactly The Message That Fairy Tales Get Across To The Child In Manifold Form: That A Struggle Against Severe Difficulties In Life Is Unavoidable, Is An Intrinsic Part Of Human Existence -- But That If One Does Not Shy Away, But Steadfastly Meets Unexpected And Often Unjust Hardships, One Masters All Obstacles And At The End Emerges Victorious.

Play Permits The Child To Resolve In Symbolic Form Unsolved Problems Of The Past And To Cope Directly Or Symbolically With Present Concerns. It Is Also His Most Significant Tool For Preparing Himself For The Future And Its Tasks.

A Parent Who From His Own Childhood Experience Is Convinced Of The Value Of Fairy Tales Will Have No Difficulty In Answering His Child's Questions; But An Adult Who Thinks These Tales Are Only A Bunch Of Lies Had Better Not Try Telling Them; He Won't Be Able To Related Them In A Way Which Would Enrich The Child's Life.

Parents Ought, Through Their Own Behavior And The Values By Which They Live, To Provide Direction For Their Children. But They Need To Rid Themselves Of The Idea That There Are Surefire Methods Which, When Well Applied, Will Produce Certain Predictable Results. Whatever We Do With And For Our Children Ought To Flow From Our Understanding Of And Our Feelings For The Particular Situation And The Relation We Wish To Exist Between Us And Our Child.