In Praise of Allowing

John Rosenow, in his book, Living Long and Living Well, describes the early childhood experiences of people who have contributed to the world through art, music, science and the like. A theme that runs through the book, is that these people have often been supported in following their authentic imaginative interests – without too much adult interference. One of these people, Georgia O’Keeffe, was fortunate that her mother, Ida, nurtured autonomy. Rosenow explains, “One aspect of Ida’s parenting approach that today’s sometimes over-eager parents would do well to emulate: While she made sure that her daughters had painting and drawing lessons, she neither encouraged nor discouraged her daughters, thereby teaching them that their art was their own, and that they should aim for excellence only because they wanted to.”

And in the Out of the Box Training Kit, “Sparking Imagination,” Karen Stephens writes: “For centuries, early childhood professionals have advocated for the importance of imaginative play in nurturing early childhood development. Today, a continuing stream of research backs up their wisdom. Now, it’s up to us to use it to advocate for children’s fundamental need for authentic play.”

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