Child's Play

The information that I learned about rough-and-tumble play in this chapter was interesting. I don't know if I've ever looked at rough-and-tumble play as a legitimately positive experience in a young child's life. Instead, I looked at it as a means of play that some parents support and others do not. To learn that rough-and-tumble play enhances planning and self-control is something I had never known. I see many parents who stop their children from playing in this fashion, and while I support their decision to do so, I'm just interested to find out that it holds a purpose. I would be interested to look deeper into rough-and-tumble play and see if it enhances a child's chances of becoming more aggressive in the future, or if it lowers those chances. Perhaps it has no effect on a child's future aggression whatsoever. I guess I just always thought that children who were extremely active in rough-and-tumble play were hyper-aggressive.

In terms of sociodramatic play, I've always enjoyed watching children play in this manner. I find that kids make up some of the best storylines! These different types of play in children do more than just occupy the time of a bored child for a certain amount of time. Instead, it's helping children develop and mature. It's helping them to establish healthy relationships and a healthy sense of self.