Benign Neglect

This could be a universal axiom: "the child-care practices of the dominant culture had become 'natural.'"

David, this is brilliant and I eagerly await the next installment.

Children need our undivided attention periodically, but they don't need us to help them play. Play comes naturally, and is most educational and therapeutic when it is inner-directed. As soon as we join in (because we believe that is our role) we unwittingly dominate, and change the direction a child might follow on his or her own. Soon our child is in the habit of following our lead, duped into believing he needs us for entertainment.

Some of us are wising up and realizing that it's unproductive for us to habitually play with children (because, for one, we must then resort to placing kids in front of TV to get a break!) and far less creative and educational for the children, who need time and practice inventing, self-initiating, daydreaming, etc. There are now instructive articles about healthy, natural things that children used to do -- like talk to themselves (!) -- because parents are finding out that these elements of "alone play" are crucial for healthy development.

It's easiest and best for children to begin healthy habits like independent play in the first years. http://www.janetlansbury.com/2010/09/baby-you-are-born-to-play/

Thats good news for busy people,but they will miss all the fun..unbuildt Lego-creations and unplayed basketgames might lead to unsatisfied and grumpy parents:-)

Hello. I am a CA Jourist, I would share somthing here soon.

The topic of Nature vs. Nurture, and visa versa, seems to be a hot topic among many psychologists in today’s society. In today’s society the term ‘nature’ refers to the environment in which we are brought up, and the term ‘nuture’ refers to our genetic makeup. Basically, does the environment that we are brought up in, having anything to do with the person we become, or does it have little effect, and it is just something that we are born with?
According to the article I read on the nurture vs. nature website, this debate or controversy has been going on for centuries, and can be traced back to the 13th century. When scientists perform studies they usually use twins for the following reason(s); “By comparing sets of identical twins who were raised apart and those who were raised in the same environment, scientists can view the impact of nature and nurture.”
The reasoning behind choosing twins, is because they have the same genetic makeup, therefore if the children are raised apart, in different environments, you can better see the difference between genetics and environment.
It goes on to state that in most studies that use twins, you can see that it isn’t all genetics that make up our personalities and intellectual state, it also has a lot to do with our environment. However, the debate will continue on, because with different societies, you have different findings in each, therefore bringing on different ideas, and conclusions.

"Nature versus Nurture: Environment or Genetics." Biological Determinism l Genetic Determinism l Nurture-or-Nature.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. .