Dad’s World with Jonathan deBurca Butler
She opened her article with an anecdote. She explained how during one of her sessions — she specialises in outdoor play — a little boy was trying to make his way into an imaginary tepee that a group of girls had created. They wouldn’t let him in and effectively built a wall around the little tent. After much screaming and counter screaming, he saw a gap and nipped in to grab the ‘jewels’ they were protecting. He scarpered but instead of letting him away with it, the would-be squaws pursued him. They hassled him so much that he eventually relented and reluctantly handed the precious gems back. He then went away and sat on his own by a tree.
After a few minutes one of the more caring girls went and sat beside him. Initially, the boy stayed put but after a little cajoling he accepted the girl’s hand of friendship and went back to play. Throughout the whole exercise the children were being observed by their parents. Anscom noted that when the boy was initially rejected by the girls the parents’ first inclination was to intervene; to put themselves between the children and say ‘come on kids let little Bobby play’. Anscom asked them to wait and see how the episode played out. Her reason?
