Oftentimes while observing adults, I wonder what they were like as children. Did they share their toys? How did they treat other children? Did they eat the crusts on their PB and J sandwiches, or make their mother cut them off? Many factors of childhood affect how you develop and act as an adult, a major one being play. Playing on the playground, on cool green grass or carpeted floors, with beat up barbies or action figures. Proper play gives us freedom, a chance to think for ourselves, and teaches us how to respond to social signals in adulthood. 

When I encounter an adult – or teenager – who frustrates me, I tend to think that they had to be an awful child. Pushing others in a game of tag on a playset, stealing toys, throwing fits on the ground of their local supermarket… you get the picture.  Upon further thought, I wonder if they were not able to learn better behavior. Were these frustrating people  given the opportunity to play for themselves? Were they given enough freedom, or enough time to play with other children? If they had not, I begin to feel pity.

Furthermore, I think of how the parents of these people were treated as children. Maybe they were treated the same way they learned to treat their children. They probably thought it was for the best. How were they supposed to know any better?

As a final point, I think that we as a society should encourage proper play. We need to create a standard of bringing children together to play, and drop unnecessary fears about giving them some freedom. This will create more socially adept and kind adults in the future. I believe that the greatest gift you can give a child is the gift of play.