Jack has a black steam engine named Julia. Julia is a boy, and today he was quite ill. He required a visit from the doctor, who promptly put him in bed for some rest. Jack’s bed. With Jack’s blanket and Jack’s pillow. At naptime.
Jack said he would have to build a store so the doctor could go buy some medicine for Julia to get better. In the meantime, Julia had to rest. Jack made himself a little bed on the floor and prepared to nap there (or at least lay down until I left the room, when he would promptly pop back up and commence the building). I pointed out that Julia had his pillow.
“Oh,” he said. “Well, I want the pillow.”
There was a time I questioned whether I would ever see my little boy express his imagination or play with his toys “appropriately.” Pretend play seemed like a mountain so high we’d never get over it. But one day his Little People started riding in their cars. Then his blocks became castles. One by one favorite toys got names, and then personalities.
Not so long ago I was trying to figure out how to explain the finer points of pretend play… today I was sent on a mission to find “wheels” for a tractor to take Julia’s doctor to the store he’s building. Very specific wheels, but wheels.
Tiny victories.
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What is your favorite little victory?
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