The Simplicity Parenting Podcast with Kim John Payne #18: Trumps Tower & Wall and a Child’s Blocks (Simplicity Diary)
Oct 16, 2018
In this engaging discussion, a parent's email sparks a conversation about a 12-year-old boy who creatively builds Trump Tower and a wall from blocks. The host explores how children's play serves as a vital outlet for processing unsettling news, suggesting that reducing screen time can significantly help in this regard. He emphasizes the importance of observing children's play as a window into their emotional worlds and warns against the impact of adult conversations that might create distressing mental images for kids. It's a call to nurture imagination and provide safe spaces for play.
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Child Builds News-Inspired Block Scene
- A 12-year-old built Trump Tower and a wall with blocks after adults removed his electronics for a bad grade.
- The child's play mirrored news images and revealed what he had absorbed and was worrying about.
Play Reveals Emotional Processing
- Children play out what they absorb from news as a way to digest troubling events rather than just repeat exposure.
- Observing their play gives adults diagnostic insight into children's emotional lives and anxieties.
Turn Off Screens To Let Kids Decompress
- Turn off screens and reduce sensory input when children are exposed to disturbing news images.
- Give children quiet time to decompress so they can begin to digest and process what they've seen.