Little Ari was a shy and non-assertive child who was inevitably overlooked by the school authorities for group activities. Once, when the teacher announced that the class would be staging a play, Ari, who loved acting, hoped to be a part of it. However, much to his dismay, he was not given a single role – neither big nor small.
Disappointed, he followed the teacher and students to the auditorium as they trooped in for play practice. As he watched he realized that he could have done a much better job in emoting the lines than some of the others and wished that he could have in in their place. That evening when he reached home he decided to enact the play all by himself and even improvised some props!
A path-breaking book that highlights a dilemma that many parents and teachers face these days, which is how to help childen cope with disapponitment and in some severe cases, even feelings of rejection? After all, it is not possible for all children to bag a role but yet… due consideration has to be given to the quiet and introverted ones. For it is activities such as these that go along way in building their confidence.
Second, and more importantly, the story highlights the power of play. These days, children hardly ever play. They are either busy with school homework, television or video games. Play is treated as an unimportant activity. However, innumerable studies have proved the benefits of play. Play can be therapeutic. It enables a child to address and resolve his or her own problem. It provides them a safe environment to play out their emotions of hurt, disappointment and even rejection. Through play, children learn to communicate with others, express feelings and develop problem-solving skills.
Interestingly, there is another approach to play therapy called Playful Parenting mooted by Lawrence Cohen. In this story when Ari’s mother joined in the fun and games, it was a great morale booster for him. Now he had an ally who could participate in his healing. Playful Parenting encourages parents to join their children in play, and thus help them overcome many emotional and behavioral issues in the process. Parents should try and connect playfully with their children, even through laughter, roughhousing and even silliness!
Recommended for parents and teachers.
Comments
Developing healthy emotional habits!
A great topic to be dealt sensitively- handling disappointment or rejection healthily is imperative when it comes to developing children in this competitive day and age!
The topic dealt in this particular book is a great topic for helping parents and kids on how to deal with disappointment. A personal favorite as I can see my childhood in Ari’s in the story description. While being equipped to handle disappointment it is also imperative to encourage children to be ‘assertive’ in a healthy way. Kids who are shy and non-assertive find themselves lacking skills to be Assertive in a healthy way. There are some tips for kids who are very talented but because of their personality they feel inhibited to express themselves by which they feel good about themselves.
Assertiveness comes with Confidence, and shy kids lack confidence, thus building confidence is crucial. Research in mental health proves that parents need to understand their child's personality and deal with them patiently. Role playing is one way to encourage these kids.
All in all, a great message for parents in all societies to understand the importance of identifying these personality traits.
Thanks for bringing this book to our Indian society!