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Show ee SweetHeart invents a new kind of Lime. Is Play Really Good For All Children? Arebuttalby Dr. FrancesJellinek Myers, Professor of Physical Education,Florida Atlantic University @ Last July 4, FAMILY WEEKLY ran an article titled “The Way Our Children Play Can Save Their Mental Health,” by Dr. Arthur Weider of Fordham University. In it he argued the merits of “frec” or “unstructured” play as an aid to children’s emotional growth. Doctor Weider received a numberofletters as a result of his article—but none more reasoned orarticulate ..an this one. It happens to take an opposing point of view.—TheEditors DearDoctor Weider: Asa professional physical educator I am deeply disturbed by your article (July 4th, FaMiLy WEEKLY) “The Way Our Chil- dren Play Can Save Their Mental Health. Youstate that “Play is to children whatliving and working is to adults.” YES—and whatthat meansis that for a great many play is frustrating, ego destroying and somethingto be endured and/or escaped from. No onepersonis born withathletic skillskills are taught either formally,as in schools, or informally, as by a peer, but by someone.I will not leave out the possibility that some seem to learn byimitation. No child or adult (of normal personality deve'opment) will purposely putherself into a situation that insures failure—those who are pushed into these situations are perhaps someofthose whoare endingup in youroffice. “Many coaches and physical educators, used to (somestill do) believe that involvementin sports helped students learn such behavior patterns as “good sportsmanship,” “aggressiveness,” “good loser,” “work off aggression,” etc., ad nauseam. Research anda greatdealof personal observation bearout the truth thatthese people had these characteristics prior to the play experience. Behavior patterns are learned duringthefirst few yearsof life. Yes, we can hopefully modify these patterns (if we wantto), but simply putting a child or adultinto a play situation is not the answer. Competitive situations of this sort—without the personality cushion of adequateself-image and without the needed skills to have a chanceat “success”—could well destroy the individual, Depending on “the inner control”ofthe individual, the “brawl” you mention might even end up as 4 homicide, The pointis that “Try,try, again” has too often resulted in “Fail, fail, again.” The only people—any age—who can €Xperience failure “well” are those who already have an ego—@ self-image of worth. I have been trying to convince future classroomteachersthatfree playis not a panacea,that children need And new Sweet-Heart’ Limeis really different. It’s fresh with the bright, clean fragrance of lime.It cleansdishes, glasses andsilver toa gleamingshine. Andit gives you morevalue for your money. (And in these inflationary times, that’s important.) So try Sweet-Heart Lime. It’s got a lot going for you. tolearn skills—going from simple locomotoractivities to mere advanced ball-handling activities—so that all of them can eXperience success. I wish that the “play cure” were a real one, But the idea of competitivenessis failing because the competitors are onterribly unequalfootings. Competition only works well when both sides havea fairly equal chance.—Dr. Frances Jellinek Myers 10 Family Weekly, October 8, 1971 |