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Play.
Oh my, did I love this chapter. Memories of my own carefree childhood came quickly to mind as I read through these pages. Summertime adventures with my brother and the neighborhood kids. A special fort made in our swingset. Riding bikes down the street. My favorite line: “A day without a schedule is a day of possibilities.” (page 57)
I hope my own children can experience many of the same memories I did growing up. Lots of games, lots of their imagination come to life. I want them to look back fondly at their childhood, full of rich experiences.
Food for thought from this chapter (and one I want to remember as they get older):
“So much of the structure that we impose on our children’s lives is really intended to make our own lives easier. We don’t want to give up our freedom, and so we fail to grant our children theirs. As every mother knows, it’s easier to sign up for sports camp than to carve out a week to allow your chilren to follow their own inclinations at home. But children need time that is utterly their own – time to take up residence in their own lives, time to dream through an afternoon, time to play with the kids next door, time to wake up to their own pleasures. Above all, they need some time when we adults aren’t calling the shots.” (page 53)