Friday, September 22, 2006

Why I follow Elisabeth around the playground

I have been thinking recently about why I still follow Elisabeth around the playground as she plays. Formerly, I did it for her safety, to make sure that she didn't fall off the equipment or accidentally hurt other children. Now I do it to teach her how to interact with others.

Not to teach her actively is to assume that she already has sufficient understanding to navigate the world of a playground - which is just not true. She knows how to handle many situations, in which I can simply watch her do what she has learned. Yet there are also many occasions on which I must actively teach. How should she respond to a child climbing up the slide when she is coming down? How should she react to a child who repeatedly throws sand? How does she respond to an older child running carelessly on the equipment. All of that must be taught so that she will come to a point where she can make good judgments without being directed.

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