Dr. Toy's Smart PLAY Smart Toys – Expanded & Updated 4th Edition. Stevanne Auerbach

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СКАЧАТЬ rel="nofollow" href="#fb3_img_img_5c9f5bda-1c9a-51d6-939a-812b3ac3e641.jpg"/> Did anyone try to take your toy from you? How did you feel?

      

Did you play with that toy in different ways and for a long time?

      

Do you still have that toy today in your treasured collection of childhood things?

      

What happened to that toy?

      

When you are ready open your eyes, and take a deep breath.”

      Read this next section out loud. After asking a question, allow plenty of time for you and/or your partner to think and for various childhood images to emerge.

      At this time think about the pictures evoked and think about or discuss what you remember with your partner. You may write down the memories, draw your memory and/or share the experiences with your partner.

      Amazing, isn’t it? That special toy you played with as a child still, for many of you, remains vivid in your memory. If you do not have such recollections that, too, is significant. The lack of toys or memories of them affects us, too! Perhaps after this exercise you will better understand how important the toys are with which children play.

      Toys (or their absence) are a formative part of childhood. Strong memories arise as soon as you allow your mind to return to your early years.

      Sometimes those memories are painful ones of loss or anger. Many adults can remember the feelings of having a greatly loved doll or teddy bear suddenly pulled away or broken by a brother or sister. Or, perhaps, the memory is of never having owned a stuffed animal to cuddle. Or your parent may have given away a favorite toy, set of trains, or other treasured plaything. Long afterward one can still remember the pain of that experience, and adult behavior and/or attitudes may reflect it.

      If you recognize that you might have some disturbing feelings from childhood, endeavor to examine what happened. Try to forgive your parents, siblings, or friend for doing something that may have hurt you. Put that pain into perspective, and allow it to fade from your memories. In that way you will be able to move ahead with your current life and new responsibilities.

      If this approach doesn’t work, and something from the past is still troubling you, you may want to seek counseling. Getting to the bottom of the issue and working through old pain will allow you to fully enjoy the pleasure of playing with your own child, rather than not responding or using them as a substitute for your own childhood.

      There are the happy recollections, too. Many people report the fun of building with their Erector sets, making towering creations, or building their first train layout that greatly impressed younger brothers and sisters. You may be surprised to know that pride in such accomplishments can last long into adulthood.

      Childhood is full of magical moments: receiving that first dress-up doll, setting up the tracks of that first train (or watching Dad take over!), learning to play Jacks and Ball, jumping rope, doing tricks with your yo-yo, sailing a wooden boat, having an afternoon tea party with dolls, and teacups, and cooking over your little toy stove.

      These are some of the vivid pictures, fondly recalled, that rush by when adults watch their own baby in his crib. Their new baby playing with his toes or with their fingers, or trying to catch light coming through the window, sparks scenes from the parents’ own childhood.

      What toys will you provide to create those enchanting moments for your precious infant’s future joy?

      Certainly the basic function of any toy is to give pleasure to a child. Whether high-tech or old-fashioned, toys open exciting new doors to fresh awareness. So, before evaluating or thinking about toys for your young one, try to think back to your own experiences with toys. It will strengthen the empathy you have, and better appreciate the needs of your child.

      If you do remember many of these experiences, then toys were important in your childhood. You have an appreciation for toys, a good memory, and you were an active player. You probably still are. So please enjoy the rest of this book, and the special playtimes you will have with your child in what can be a most special, fun, “second childhood.”

       Power of Memories

      Independently several architects have told me that playing with blocks as a child helped influence them towards their career choice—building with bigger and better blocks. Teachers told me how they can remember the fun of playing “school” and making a decision to teach. Writers recall creating fantasy dramas: tales of adventure with roles for everyone, with puppets and dolls, and even the dog.

      Have you ever made a connection like that?

      You have the opportunity to enrich your child with similar, powerful inspirations. You can provide your child with new sensations that do not rely just on products you buy, but on the high value you place on playtime.

      Creative playtime, whether it be with a stick a child has picked up in the park, or a hundred-dollar high-tech game, is what is really meaningful.

      How the child plays, and what he gets out of play, are what’s paramount, not the cost of the plaything.

      A parent’s role is a complex one: so many books to read, so many things to do and be responsible for—food, clothing, health. Equally complex is your child’s social development. Of course, playtime is one area that provides the most fun, relaxation, entertainment—and educational socialization—for everyone.

      During playtime, you can help your little one imagine whole new worlds. Throughout your child’s life, such activities will stimulate creativity, sense of humor, sense of balance and proportion, wonder, reasoning, social development, and much more.

      As I examine with you the different stages of development and suggest types of toys for each stage, you will learn basic techniques to encourage your child appropriately. You will also receive many tips on how to shop, clean toys, store them, recycle and otherwise become an active and more knowledgeable “Play Guide.”

       Dr. Toy’s Questions About Childhood Toys

      

Did you have a lot of different toys to play with?

      

Did you have to share them with other children?

      

When you went to preschool were there ample toys?

      

Did you have good experiences with new playthings that you had never seen before?

      

Were you able to figure out how to play with such items yourself?

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