Unschool Monday - Imaginative Play

Like almost all children, the snowflakes engage in a lot of imaginative play, whether individually or with friends or with each other. They can go from being bear cubs to being plane pilots in the blink of an eye, while toys and everyday household objects can metamorphose into whatever props are needed with ease.

But while this kind of play is effortless to children, it can sometimes be an effort for involved parents, the challenge being to avoid interfering or finding 'teachable moments' when they are not needed. Raising school free children tends to make Daddy Snow and me extra aware of exactly what the kids are learning. Even when they aren't learning in the more formal sense - which is a lot of the time for us - I'm constantly noticing whether they are using numeracy and literacy skills (eg writing me a note to request chocolate and then dividing the spoils between them), or 'doing science' (eg spotlighting out the back and figuring out how various nocturnal creatures have adapted to their lifestyle), or whatever.

Make believe play offers a window into what the children are thinking about and learning, but sometimes this is not what we are expecting. I was very surprised yesterday to find the snowflakes playing weddings, with #2 frocked up as the bride, #1 the black clad groom, and #3 earnestly marching along behind as the bridesmaid. I was then roped in to play the Bridal March on piano as they paraded up and down the hallway in state, but I was feeling quite perturbed. My daughter wanting to dress up and act out a white wedding just like I did as a child! How did this happen, what did we do wrong? Have we not had enough discussions about how some people choose to marry and others don't, and it's a personal decision? Have we not read her enough stories about families with gay parents? Have we failed to adequately emphasise equal opportunities and career options for women? Is she not aware that, should she decide to marry one day, a long white gown is by no means compulsory?

Then I thought about some of the other play scenarios I've seen over the last day or two, and the various roles #2 has played - a wizard, a gymnastics coach, a surgeon, an Inuit hunter and a canal digger/engineer, just to name a few - and this put the 'wedding' into perspective. She's not buying into some outdated and anti-feminist notion of The Bride. She's simply doing what kids are supposed to do: trying out many different identities and narratives through play. Whew! I can stop worrying and start laughing at myself for overanalysing things. Oh, and start remembering to trust the snowflakes' ability to learn via imaginative play in precisely the way they need to...