5 ms·
It might seems like a simple feel-good story for some, but it's more than that. I didn't imagine how much children learn and cope through toys until I had my ow
by kkoncevicius 5y ago
It might seems like a simple feel-good story for some, but it's more than that. I didn't imagine how much children learn and cope through toys until I had my own kids.
Example 1: when my daughter was 2 she got a fishbone stuck in her mouth. I gave her lots of bread and water so that something would force the small bone to go down. After 5 minutes the issue was resolved and she immediately jumped to her teddy bear and started playing "you have a bone teddy, you need bread, take this, take that". The first plays were urgent and quite serious and the teddy was always "cured" quickly. But later through the following days as she played the same idea she started to improvise. Teddy, in her hands, would cough and cough - I would offer him things for 10 minutes and more and nothing would help him. And she would laugh at this. After these plays fish bones in her mind were no longer serious.
Example 2: when she was 3 we tried to adapt her to a kindergarten. After the first day when she was home she picked up her toy cars and started playing. Some of the cars were teachers, others were children, one was me, another one was her, and one small car was a smaller child that cried all the time. And we played the routine where I came to the kindergarten with her, stayed for a bit, and then went to work. At the moment the "dad" car went to work she would physically tense up and become silent, as if it was really happening. But those moments became easier once she learned more details about what to expect during the typical day in the kindergarten and that later the "dad" car always comes back to take her home. Seems like this experience was helpful as, despite being somewhat shy, she never cried during her adaptation period.
- Fnoord 5y agoOh yes, my daughter's favorite (she loves rabbits in general) helps her all time, even during sleep. She's role playing with the doll, as well as her imaginary friends (who also aid her, and go through similar events as she does). I suppose before she had imaginary friends, a solution as OP's makes sense. A plushie (often a favorite) who also suffers from the same (or similar) issue creates that form of empathy/connection children require. We got some special toys as well, for example a doll with a heartbeat which supposedly helps kids with autism (both parents in our household got the diagnosis). I don't think it works for our oldest, and for our youngest jury's out on it (he's not even 1 year old). Suffice to say I find this a beautiful project. Thank you so much for linking to it, submitter!
- bonoboTP 5y agoAs you say, kids will instinctively do this, she pretend played that a car is herself and another is you. They don't need adults to prescribe what they should pretend play. They'll play with rocks and twigs and anything else and have fun. These toys-that-make-feelgood-news are not about kids but adults playing politics (that they are compassionate unlike the other tribe).
- ska 5y ago> These toys-that-make-feelgood-news are not about kids but adults playing politics (that they are compassionate unlike the other tribe). Notwithstanding the tone of the article being "feel-good" I really don't know how you make the jump you made here - lots of research supports the idea that representation matters. Sure kids will happily play with rocks and cardboard tubes, but if they are playing with dolls they will absolutely notice if they are none of the options are much like themselves. It's hardly a big conceptual jump to see how a kid in a wheelchair would like to have a doll/action figure/whatever also with a wheelchair.
- PebblesRox 5y agoI agree, and what really drove it home for me years ago was watching this video of a kid's reaction to receiving a doll like her: https://youtu.be/yj5U-tr-E24 https://youtu.be/yj5U-tr-E24 Who can watch that and say rocks and sticks would be just as good?
- heywherelogingo 5y ago"a simple feel-good story" - am I the only one who feels manipulated? It could have been eg "Man makes toy bears...". When I see something like "Dad makes teddies..." I stop reading. Give me the details, and I'll draw conclusions on my own, thanks. Related, I struggle to find objective media; I thought The Economist would be hard nosed objective economics - nope, had to unsubscribe; I figured the FT must be the answer, only interested in money and profits, facts only - nope, unsubscribed.
- aledalgrande 5y agoWow, that's a cynical take if I've seen one.
- heywherelogingo 5y agoI think you underestimate the media, or maybe it's just the UK media.
- nitrogen 5y agoPerhaps, but the parent post was right to notice that headline wording choice has an effect on emotion, and can be manipulative. Human interest stories aren't always chosen and conveyed with the interest of the reader or the subject in mind.
- sweetheart 5y agoIMHO, saying that "Dad makes teddies" is simply a manipulative form of "Man makes toys" is just drawing arbitrary lines on the spectrum of the descriptiveness of language. It primes the reader for a more light-hearted, cute story, rather than a factual retelling of a series of events. Evoking emotional !== being manipulative. It _can_ mean that, but just because something tugs at our heart strings doesn't mean we are being manipulated. Further, why not consider that "Man makes toys" is just a manipulative form of "Dad makes teddies"? Sure that primes us just as much as "Dad makes teddies", just in the other direction, no? EDIT: Rereading this it sounds like I'm coming at you, or the OP, but I'm not :) Just thinking out loud in response to your comment!
- friedegg 5y agoI had several eye surgeries related to my congenital cataracts as a kid, including one where I had to wear an eye patch bandage for a few weeks. I remember being given a Mickey Mouse doll with a circular band-aid over the same eye, similar to my own. I peeled it off right away. Maybe I was a cynical kid.