In the past week or so I was asked to write a 1000 words about an article written a few years ago that had a influence on some of my own work -- the Visible Empathy of Infants. I was thinking about the different 'visibilities' or things that become visible to us when we are truly observant of the play around us. As I read
Playing to Learn this week, the notions of visibility were swimming in my head as Smidt described the role of 'unpopular' play such as allowing dramatic play about the difficult issues children experience or worry about to be worked out in the play corner. Isn't it only through watching and listening that their worries and the depths of their concerns truly become visible to us? How better to know the children with whom we work? And, if we truly valuable individualizing the approaches that we take with each child, and fulfilling an obligation to meet their needs holistically -- not just academically, but in terms of social/emotional well-being as well -- isn't it necessary to allow these cloaks of invisibility to fall away in the relative safety of the environments we create for them?
Children see what we see, despite attempts to 'protect' them. They see the twin towers fall, they see drone strikes in far off lands, they see hurricane destruction, OR perhaps they actually live these things. Pretending they do not see or hear or witness our own emotional reactions is, well just silly.
Perhaps it is the burrying of these emotions and visions of horror and fear that have caused so many to have real-life trauma or difficulty dealing with problems, big and small, as they move into adulthood? If we do not help children learn to cope and deal effectively with their fears, to express them and to understand that they can talk to trusting and trustworthy adults, to have their questions and concerns treated honestly and respectfully, that they grow up with their own neuroses and fears, or more readily, perhaps, buy into the whole 'culture of fear' that some would have us live in?
Just musings for the day. I shared this quote with a couple of folks on their blogs, but it is one I heard on TV this week and I like it.
"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons (monsters) exist. Children already know that
(monsters) dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons (monsters) can be killed." G. K. Chesterton
I remember the moment the towers fell, because I was in a middle school classroom at the time. We (the teachers) were instructed not to talk about it, basically, to take a lock. It seemed so odd to me, because we were told by the administration to keep everything as normal as possible. Though I can appreciate that idea on one level, the kids already knew what had happened (thank you cell phones). They were the ones who informed me. And, I was supposed to behave like having the towers fall was normal? Many kids were frightened and we (teachers) weren't supposed to talk about it with them or, even, among ourselves within the school building. I wondered then, as I do now, for whom is the 'protection' really meant? This question extends beyond the twin towers, too, into many other perceived 'protection' cloaks that I've experienced being draped over children. It's a fascinating topic.
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