Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Pre-conditions of play
My husband and I have to work out a vacuuming schedule to accommodate Viggo, our 7-month old black striped tabby. Freya, our 5 month old is less affected, although she'll come hightailing to me to seek comfort when it's turned on. Our routine is simple; Ken will start with the upper level of the house (we live in a 3-storey townhome), whereas I'll sit in the basement and play with the cats. I then attempt to distract Viggo by playing with his favorite toys. Once the vacuum starts, he would still be interested in play but the sound would distract him to the point where he'd pause in the middle of play. If the vacuum comes closer (living room area on the first floor), poor Viggo would completely stop and that's our cue to hide in the closet together. Not because it's play, but because it makes him feel safe. Which brings me to the point of the post; a point that has been brought up in the class many times. Without a sense of safety, play is the first activity to go away. Indeed this was the case with our Viggo. We're pretty sure that some day that he'll be able to deal with the vacuum better (he hasn't had a panic attack since the first time he heard) but until then, maybe I can create a safe environment enough for him to play when the monster is turned on!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Safety is huge. We have a member of our class who has panic attacks and has real anxiety, and it has been something of a concern of me to try to make our environment safe -- not just for this person, but for all of the 'players.' In the reading I'm doing from "Playing to Learn" this is discussed in one of the chapters beautifully, in the context of 'War play, Cruel play, and Tragic play,' and the need to create these places of safety in which children will respond with, "...a willingness to share their own experiences, fears, thoughts, dreams and desires. The sharing takes place in different ways: through talk, drawings, drama and role play, the representations of actual and possible worlds" (p. 109). The author, Smidt, reminds us that these worlds that children face and therefore demonstrate in their play can prove unpopular and disturbing to the adults, and it is play that cannot be labeled pleasurable or fun; yet it is highly valuable.
ReplyDeleteI heard a quotation on TV a few nights ago that I really love: "Fairy tales do not tell children that monsters and dragons exist. Children already know that monsters and dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that they can be killed." G.K. Chesterton. Your very difficult job as cat mom to poor Vigo is to be the Dragon Slayer for him, and to keep him safe. And, as the mom of two elderly cats and two elderly dogs, I hate to tell you, but their fears generally stay with them for life :).