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Play with violence
I've been a student of many books on play for kids in toddlerhood. I recently ordered the book _Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence_ by Gerard Jones. (Sorry, I don't know how to add a hyperlink here)
I have not read this book, but would like to engage some Wise Men as I prepare to get into it. I'll be reading it weighing the author's perspective with one of my heroes, Fred "Mister" Rogers.
I could use some reflection from other dads about components of violence in play.
It bothers me to have good v. evil be a central theme in our 6-year-old's play for too long because I don't want our son to be practicing the posture of fierce feelings and play-acting them out. On the other hand, it's a helpful way to come to grips with certain slices of life and teach: anger, meanness, helping, rescuing, virtue and morality, friendship and family, etc. So if the "cowboys and indians" of our era is power rangers or star wars, and--in a few years-- online gaming-- how do you think this kind of play is helpful or harmful? How does the way a Dad cares for his child's spirit change with developmental stages?
Thanks for thoughts.
I'll check in as I digest the book and offer some nutshells for us to muse over.
good v. evil is okay to me?
sounds like you're way ahead of me on this. We haven't really gotten to this stage as our tot is not yet 2 yrs old.
Nonetheless, I do get concerned sometimes about an overexposure to violence, killing, etc that could desensitize him. Like everything else, I think it's a matter of amount of exposure and whether we are there to help them process it.
Good vs. evil and conflict doesn't concern me as much. I mean, every boy want to be a hero, right? More so, I'm watching more so for how my tot handles anger/frustration/not-getting-what-he-wants. So, I think you hit it on the head with "fierce feelings"
FYI - here's the link - lots of really good discussion in the reviews. I never thought about violence and fantasy in this way: "children use violence to make sense of their world, to help them deal with their own aggressive feelings, and to broaden the range of personality factors by using violence safely in a fantasy realm, rather than in reality." You gotta tell us what you think as you read through!
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