Jamie Ridler of http://tnc-thejoydiet.blogspot.com/ talks about play in Martha beck's book The Joy Diet.
I think this is a great topic to write about and I have really enjoyed reading other people posts on this chapter. I think as adults we don't play any where near enough. We are taught from too young of an age, especially lately that play in not good. We should be more focused. More focused on our career, getting good grades, keeping a clean house, being a good parent (having well behaved, smart focused kids), and many more things that take away our creativity and play. I have read fairly recently in our town's newspaper that they have taken away recess from elementary age ids so that they can have more classroom time. Isn't play just as important in learning as literal school work? I think so. Could this be why there is so much ADHD? We are expected to be so focused and we can't dream or have many different ideas and desires at once. I know from my own past that I stopped art classes after 67th grade because I should focus more on school work. I wish that I had kept up my creativity instead of waiting til I was in my 20's (thankfully it was only my 20's and not later) I am the mom of 3 beautiful kids and I hope that I can encourage them to play what ever that means for them. I hope that I can continue to play with them and on my own. I so want to look back on my life and be happy with the way I lived. Not to look back and think everything was perfect, but that I lived the best I could at the time, loved as much as I could, and enjoyed life to it's fullest.
"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth."
— Mark Twain
Amy
I just noticed your profile. My sister has one daughter and is expecting twins. She's rather nervous about the prospect to say the least! Perhaps we could teach her something from this joy diet!
ReplyDeleteI've just rediscovered my creativity too - or at least the non-work based part. I've been painting and writing non-stop all year. It's play and it's done me the power of good - much more than I even realised at first!
What a great post! I love your thoughts about recess, art, and play for children.
ReplyDeleteHaha keeping the house clean, Betty Friedan said: "No woman gets an orgasm from shining the kitchen floor", but maybe from play? ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Mark-Twain-quote, I only knew this from a Sabrina Ward Harrison book:
"work like you don't need the money"
I love this quote!
I absolutely agree with you about recess! We all need play. So glad you've rediscovered it and are nourishing it in yourself and in your children.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your journey with play this week. I love that Mark Twain quote.
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