Adventures With Dollhouses

When it comes to imagination, there are no rightresult of the simple click of a button. This
or wrong answers for the most part. Encouragingdiminishes children's learning capacity to view the
imagination in children is a vital component to theirworld as an interactive place and can place
development and parents play an important role inunrealistic demands on the life experience of
determining that imagination by encouraging it.children. The passive nature of television or
When parents do not encourage imagination incomputer games often leads to a lack of physical
their children, they run the risk of hampering theplay in children as well.
development of many important mental capacitiesTeaching Techniques
that children develop through the experience ofBelieve it or not, some teaching techniques can
play.stifle the ability of children to imagine and work
Allowing children to have adventures in their ownwith their creativity. Rigid teaching systems that
minds using creative tools, such as dollhouses orteach conceptual skills are often the culprit here,
other miniature worlds, is an important piece ofas children learn endlessly from passive
the child raising puzzle. It is important toworkbooks and are not taught critical interaction
encourage children to use their minds in playand imagination skills. This form of learning is
situations, as this encourages the emergence ofcommon in early-age schoolchildren and commonly
rules, regulations, creative thinking, and problemteaches children principles through verbal
solving. Far too often, children lack those skillsinstruction rather than allowing children to learn
upon entering the most basic of life situationsprinciples through active participation.
because of the parent's desire to have theirA big part of the problem with this is that nothing
children become in touch with "reality" as early asis actually actively learned in a physical sense.
possible. This is often referred to as "tough love"Children learn from experience, by and large, and
and is certainly not suitable for young children.rely on life experiences to teach them what they
There are many practices that discourage theneed to know. The universal example of the child
use of children's imagination and abstract skills.touching the stove several times to figure out
Television and Computersthat it is hot is a clear example of this type of
Too often in the modern world, it is common tolearning style. Children that do not learn by doing
have passive parenting skills take charge. Parentsoften do not learn as successfully as those that
often park their children in front of the televisionlearn through experience.
or computer for hours on end as a result of theSo the next time children are interacting with a
busy lifestyle they lead. As a result, the childrendoll house and playing with dolls in an imaginary
become engaged in what is largely an inactivesense, sit down and interact with them. Adults in
medium. This hampers creativity immeasurably.these frenzied modern times have a lot to learn
This passive action takes its place in the formfrom children who have the ability to learn
that the children do not need to act in order forcreatively and intelligently.
there to be action. Instead, action occurs as a