Play for small children is more than just amusement, it's literally them practicing being people. That is why play is often centered on being someone/something

Play for small children is more than just amusement, it's literally them practicing being people. That is why play is often centered on being someone/something else. Child psychology, and its study of play, is really interesting. There are methods like Montessori that try a more hands-off approach and let kids be kids. Other cultures, like Japan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Enough https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Enough!) give kids real responsibilities at a much younger age, letting them apply that practice. I will say that in the defense of your brother, parents are often stricter with kids in front of other people. If they never discipline them, then they won't follow rules. You don't want to be the parent whose kids run around and scream at the restaurant. At the end of the day, its balancing act. Letting them run free turns them into little monsters, but strict discipline only turns them into a different kind of monster.