The Boy sees me do something, and he starts doing it. He sees K do it, and he starts doing it. He sees L doing it, and he starts doing it.
L has always enjoyed playing store, though in recent years, she really hasn’t taken the initiative to play it. When her Polish near-cousins come from the Asheville area, they might play school, and they might, just might, play store, but the oldest is now in middle school and such games seem pointless with just two.
She saw the Boy setting up his store after dinner and desert — a treat from the Halloween bucket — and she just had to play. And take over. And start directing the Boy. Playing with her can be so exhausting when she’s like that, and I often worry that she might be that way at school as well. She might not have the most friends possible as a result. And part of me wants to do something about that, to guide her a bit. And I have. But nothing has changed, so I’ve decided to take K’s advice and just let it be. It’s a lesson she’ll have to learn for herself.
Loved this post: so simple and profound all at once. I remember these feelings from years of parenting (not so much as a grandparent, because I react much more on a minute by minute basis, I’m sure to the frustration of the parents who are always worrying about what this means, what that means…). To intervene? Is this good for her social development? Should I just let it be? Your words are like hearing myself parent all over again. Not that I have any answers. I just recognize the questions. :)
There’s probably whole schools of thought backed by entire libraries backing both options and four or five we haven’t even thought of yet.