Introduction importance of play. Surely we all know that! However, sadly that is not always the case. Although playing is something that most people do when they are children, its essential nature is often overlooked. Too often it is relegated to the margins once the ‘real work’ of school begins. I: SOMETIMES BEMUSED when I sit down and write about the Playing is seen as the domain for young children and there is now a massive industry of designer and computerised toys, and essential items that parents feel they should buy in order to give their child the best possible chance in life, And time and time again we find that children prefer to play with the boxes that the equipment comes in, and to tear up the paper in which itis ‘wrapped and wear the bows and ribbons in their hair and make use of the labels as train tickets. Children will al make something into something else: this is the nature of their imaginative drive - if, of course, they are allowed to experiment and are not ridiculed for using something ‘as itis not ‘meant to be used’! Children have the energy to experiment and explore as well as to repeat and. refine. I they are given a safe space, an adult with time and some very basic materials, the capacity for continued play is endless. The important thing isthat they need the adult with time: play begins in utero when mothers sing and rock their children, tell them stories and ask them questions. This early playfulness is the start of healthy attachment between infant and mother, indeed is the basis of embodied play. This embodied play, which continues during the first year of lif, isthe beginnings of social play. It is through social play that our brains develop and that the foundations for growing into a flexible and functioning adult are established. 11 is through social play that the essential nurture given by another is established. Research demonstrates time and time again that looking after the physical needs ofthe child such as providing food and drink, warmth and cleanliness, is not enough. Children do not thrive and their brains do not develop unless they have the constant presence of “a significant other’, Nurture is communicated through play; nurture takes the basic material of nature and provides all that is needed for early child development. ‘Time for play needs to be present right through our lives and recognised as important.All work and no play make Jack (and Jill presumably) a dull boy” is a very old saying, Certain occupations allow us to play more than others. For example, athletes and footballers, dancers and jugglers enable us to continue to play physically. Scientists and writers alike need the playfulness of the right hemisphere of their brains in order to innovate and create. Judges, politicians and the military allow us to continue the delight of dressing up and performance. However, many of our occupations do not allow so much play and we get bored and restless, perhaps physically ill and depressed, especially if we do not have play opportunities in our leisure life Perhaps we need to consider whether our work is playful enough. Is it the ‘way we spend most of our time or is it purely to earn money so that we can play enough the rest of the time? Whether it is work or recreation, play continues to be essential throughout our lives. Fortunately as adults we can continue to play if we have children or grandchildren, or look after the children of other people.Daal Inraooucrion 3 Social Play refer time and time again to the importance of social play as the bedrock for healthy development. ! am not referring to the socialising effects of play that occur when children start 10 go to nursery school, which of course is important for developing confidence in the wider social world. am referring to the primary social relationship between mother and infant during Pregnancy and during the first year of lie. It makes an impact on our sensory development, the development of our brain, and the emergence of our artistic and aesthetic self (Figure 1), Social Play and Development ‘Social play sensory development ~ tuning ofthe archaic sensory system ‘Social play ~ brain development ~ prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex Social play artistic and aesthetic development creativity and beauty Figure 1 ll“conearive PLAY Here is not the place for an elaboration on neuropsychology. Suffice it to say that recent research on the brain demonstrates the importance of the early development of social play (Jennings, 2005b). ‘We can see that the many types of play and their variants indicate their ‘important contribution to human development. We may not view them all as “social play’ ~ indeed most children enjoy periods of personal play (Slade, 1995) and spend time in total absorption. However, the capacity to play alone in a creative way grows out of our early social play with another person, There are seven main areas where our early play experience forms the basis of our maturation. Figure 2 shows the essential and far-reaching. influence that play has on our emergence as adults. Essential Play Play ~ attachment ~ relationship Play — imagination ~ creativity Play ~ stories ~ culture Play — skills — mastery Play - games ~eallaboration| Play ~ role model ~ maturation Play identity ~ performance ‘We can observe that these types of play come into broad categories of development from birth to seven years: Embodiment ~ Projection ~ Role CEPR; Jennings 1990, 1997, 1998, 2004a, 2004). The first EPR relationship ig pre-birth (Figure 3). We rock and eradle our unborn child - Embodiment. We hhave creative activities such as painting or writing poetry or talking about ‘our baby with others ~ Projection. We tell stories and have conversations, we talk to our unborn child and answer ourselves as if we are the child ~ Role. All three stages have an impact on the unborn child, nonnonwnne eePregnancy: Embodiment - Projection ~ Role Rocking. rading, patting, massage (E) Reading, poetry, panting, discussion with others (P) Storytelling, ‘iscussion’ with infant, ole reversal (i Figure 3 Once the infant is born there is usually avery intensive Embodiment stage during the first year of life, which lays the foundation for the subsequent stages. Tis isthe dominant nurture time, with sensory play and physical play. Shortly after one year, the child becomes more interested in the world around and makes a transition into the Projective stage: sand and water, paints, bricks and puzzles all form an important part of projective play: Between three and four years of age, the playing that has mainly gone on outside the body slowly becomes internal again. Instead of telling stories through puppets and dolls, the child enacts the stories and plays different characters. This is the Role stage and usually continues as the core of dramatic play until we see the emergence of drama for real at about seven years old. We can see the broad categories of activity in Figure 4 ith to seven years: Embodiment - Projection - Role E_ 0-14 months: sensory pay, touch, massage, singing games, peep-bo Pz 15 months-3 or 4 yeas: sand, water, paint, puzzles, puppets, dlls house Re 4-7 yeats: stores, role-play. masks, dramatic pay, directo, performance -oreret tower rrr rset Figure 4 ‘Of course these stages are visited again during the teenage years, although ‘not in the same sequential stages. Teenagers will try out their Embodiment skills in sports and dance, or may be very ‘bookish’ as Projection seems most ‘important, or they may try out their different Roles with their peer group, “modelling their superstars. would suggest that we then make decisions as about our training and future career with a strong EPR influence.‘We are bombarded with ideas that our bodies are not clean enough and that, ‘our houses are so dirty they will cause an epidemic. I despair when I see a dad in a television commercial enjoying the smell of a chemical room freshener, or a child putting his mother’s perfume down the loo because he thinks his poo smells unpleasant! Parents who have not played themselves, who have not successfully navigated the Embodiment ~ Projection ~ Role stages, will themselves have ‘reat difficulty in playing with their children. As well as the work we do with children, perhaps we also need to think about playwork with families as a whole. There are parenting classes in some areas with SureStart programmes, but they need a lot more resources and support. Let us find a role for dads, as well as mums in the re-education programme. Dads do feel silly in certain sorts of play, but they may be very good at making the Noah's Ark for storytelling and drama, for example.Who could provide the costumes? Make the sound effects? Could this be a drama created and enacted at the neat birthday party where everyone comes. in an animal costume? There are lots of songs on the Noah’s Ark theme and, ‘who knows, maybe it could bring about some peace! Seat SORE spea a a a 2 3 3 5 This is just one little suggestion whereby a family could create a party together instead of feeling they have to go off to a play centre or theme park, or spend an awful lot of money on outside entertainers. ‘This book is about learning to play again and being able to play with children who have needs. I do hope you enjoy it Sue Jennings Somerset 2005CHAPTER 1 Playing For Life 11S BOOK Is ABOUT essential play and suggests various ways to put it [ into practice. It has some basic theory from a hundred years ago as well as some current thinking: theory which demonstrates that play enables us to live to the full. Play helps us to think and to feel. Play is an essential ingredient in healthy attachments and thus leads to the building of social relations enshrined in law, We will return to our human rights later in this chapter. Access to play is one of our basic human rights and is We need to keep repeating, almost like a mantra, that play is essential for life and living. Play is not a childish ‘add-on’ if we happen to have time on our hhands. It is not enabled by expensive designer toys, themed outings, or epic films and DVDs Play develops from the initial playful interaction between mother and child. Indeed, my own observations demonstrate that the seeds are sown during pregnancy when mothers have playful episodes with their unborn children. The playful relationship forms the basis for healthy attachment, which generalises out into wider relationships. Although much has been written about the importance of healthy attachments, there is less literature about the attachments being playful. My contention is that play is at the core of the attachment relationship. Even though we may assert that early relationships are important, they must contain play. Playful parents are atthe heat of healthy relationships with babies and infants, (Wennings, 20060)1 cREATIVE PLAY ‘When a child is‘at risk’ or has ‘special needs’, the central role of play is even more important. We saw that the disaster of the Romanian orphanages during the communist regime meant that children did not thrive. The orphans did not thrive because they had no social interaction, There was nobody there to play with them. Even though they were mostly fed, there ‘was no interaction with another child or adult. These orphans are now teenagers and young adults, and are severely damaged by their early deprivation. Many have ended up in psychiatric institutions, including people with learning difficulties. We do not know how many of the children were born with learning difficulties compared with those whose deprivation ‘damaged the development of their brains. ‘More recently work done with Romanian orphans has shown that those who ‘were cut of from their close bonds with an adult by being let in their cots all day, unable to make relationships, hada virtual back hole where their cotitofrontal cortex shouldbe. (Chugani eta, 2001)—_ see eee ses eee ‘L ‘The important ingredient of play is that it is both social and creative, certainly in the early months of a child’s life, Children do enjoy personal play or solitary play and go through periods of profound absorption when they are creating and experimenting. These are times when they do not want to be interrupted or mimicked, or to share their discoveries. Nevertheless, development of our feeling and thinking selves, of our social and spiritual selves, is mediated through social play with others. In the first year of life, parents and primary carers have a crucial role in the development of play. The playful relationship does not need to involve sophisticated toys or equipment or reading schemes, This playful relationship needs a close adult who has time to hold and affirm the infant. Singing games and movement games as well as action songs are all important. This is social and physical play and soon develops interaction. ‘The Temiar tribal people in Malaysia (Jennings, 1994) massage their babies very soon after they are born. It is simple and safe."The baby has all the limbs gentle pressed, working up the arm and up the legs (towards the heart) with gentle pressing movements, the fingers and hands forming a circle round the limbs. Tummies and backs are massaged with gentle circles and then the head is carefully rubbed. For all limbs use baby oil or an appropriate essential cil which of course has been diluted. If this way of working is not familiar to you, please consult 2 specialist or massage manual. The Temiar infants develop well in advance of their western European counterparts. They walk earlier and have a better co-ordination of hand and eye. You can make up massage and touch songs to rhythmic tunes, remembering that all of this activity is helping both the brain and the body to develop. Massage, music and playful movement are all part of the Embodiment described in Chapter 2, which is essential during the first 12 months. However, itis important to remember that physical touch does not stop once a baby can walk alone: we need the continuation of bodily contact. It gives us confidence and reinforces our ‘body self, which leads to a strong ‘body image’ (Jennings, 2004a). It is through our physical interactions in the earlyMecREATIVE PLAY years that a child begins to learn different types of movement. There is gross body co-ordination as well as fine movement, and hand-eye co-ordination, ‘There are stages of strength and pressure. There is muscle development as ‘well as bodily control, including control of the bladder and bowel, and the ‘muscles associated with chewing and swallowing. From being a react infant who responds in the moment, there develops the co-ordinated child who can take risks with confidence, The more children have a ritualised ‘sameness in their carly lives, the more a sense of adventurousness will grow. ‘The Temiar infants have the security of being breastfed until they are three or four years old, and yet grow up to be extremely resourceful and independent. 1 describe in detail in Creative Storytelling with Children at Risk (Jennings 200da), the importance of the ritual-risk’ factor in child development and in. play and play therapy. Nursery rhymes and fairy tales also contain elements Of ritual and risk: ritualised beginning leads into an adventure and perhaps ‘some danger, and then there isa resolution and safe ending. This rhythm is @ life structure in itself and can help to develop skills in ‘conflict resolution’ and ‘problem solving’. ‘The paradox ofthe security of sameness is that I can test out newness. ‘Wennings, 20056), Quite simply, this early physical and embodied relationshij is called love. ‘The expression of unconditional love towards a child means that the child ‘will continue to grow into a loving adult. Unconditional love enables trust to develop, which supports and encourages confidence. Unfortunately, some people still think that this means you are spoiling a child and that they will ‘stow up to be even more demanding: You'll be making a rod for your own ‘back if you pick him up every time he cries’ Indeed the opposite is true. If ‘small babies and children are leit for long periods on their own or crying, they grow up anxious and fearful. Trusting comes with difficulty and in situations of extreme neglect or abuse the person’s capacity to survive in the ‘world’ is impaired, sometimes permanently.PLAYING FOR LIFE 16 If. we can recognise the neglect early enough, then some repair is possible lay therapy and a nurturing relationship may well make good some of the carly deficit, Neuron repair is possible (Cozolino, 2002), but there are ‘optimum times for it to be truly effective. Poetry is one of the ways in which love can be expressed. Loving words as well as loving actions make an impact on the recipient: the words may not be understood but the tones and. phrases will be felt. 1 address the development of the voice and the expression of emotions in more detail in Chapter 10. Social Play Let us now discuss the social play that develops alter the early embodied ‘months. T have described earlier the importance of social play with children, rather than children being directed. A lot of play activity is “co-constructed’ with others, whether parents or carers or playworkers or play therapists (Jennings, 2004a). ‘The interesting situation is that not only is there wisdom from early theorists, such as Montessori (1912/1964) and Vygotsky (1921-23/1997), but also from contemporary writers such as Ledoux (2002), Cozolino (2002) and Damasio (2000), Although some readers may be surprised that I include Maria Montessori, (1870-1952), especially as she does not believe in imaginative play, and thinks that ‘let's pretend’ is primitive and unnecessary, nevertheless her structured play exercises are extremely focused and useful (Garhard Mooney, 2000). She thinks that children should be learning concepts such as shape and colour. She also believes that children learn through individual learning with adult guidance. She places importance on the use of real things, whether tools or food. For example, children should be able to use real hammers and nails and should learn how to serve real meals. Preoccupation with health and safety regulations often now means that we use ‘safe’ plastictools or share food that is wrapped or ‘ready-made’. A recent survey has ‘shown that many families do not even possess a table around which they can ‘eat a meal and that the most time a family spends together is in the car (reported in The Heaven and Earth Show, BBC 1, April 2005). ‘There is renewed interest in Vygotsky's ideas, especially his theory of ‘mediation’: a child learns and acquires knowledge with the assistance of, others, Vygotsky's notion of ‘scaffolding’ means that a child may go beyond his or her capacity with the assistance of an adult, and he emphasises the importance of learning with adults. Every function inthe child's cultural development appears twice: ist, onthe socal level, and later on the individual level: ist between people linterpsychologicall, and then inside the chi intrapsychologica) This applies equaly to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts. Al! the higher functions originate as actual relations ‘between human individuals (my emphasis) (Wgotsky, 1978) We now understand that our early social relationships affect the development of our brains. No longer do we have ‘stable skulls’ that are more or less fixed at birth. Current research in neuropsychology demonstrates that the neocortex does not develop fully if child is deprived of early social interaction. According to Gerhardt (2004), a baby's social capacities are ‘mostly potential not actual’. “The orbitofrontol cortex, which is so much about being human, develops almost entirely post-natally. This part of the brain develops after birth and doesn’t begin to mature until toddlerhood.” Moyles (1989) suggests that play is best understood as a spiral where play and directed play influence each other.—— Rather like @ pebble on a pond, the ripples from the exploratory free play | trough directed play and back to enhanced and enriched free ply, allowed a stil of learing spreading ever outwards into wider experiences forthe children and upwards int the ecrtion of knowledge and sil Planting seeds and seeing them grow isa very apt metaphor for the child and his or her nurture and growth. Many schools are now realising the importance of nurture for children with special needs and there are nurture ‘groups being set up in many primary schools. Some of these groups are excellent but others have not provided staff with new training in order to understand the needs of the child. If the enhancement of brain development ‘nd social relationships does not happen in early years, there will be certain aspects of a child’s understanding and behaviour that just cannot happen.hassage As well as the baby massage technique already mentioned, there are all kinds of ‘safe massage’ exercises that can be used with young children. The exercises work on the child’s back between the neck and the waist, and have accompanying imaginative descriptions There is also a basic massage without a spoken description. Please Note Itisimportant that both children and parents agree that touch is allowed, and that teachers are fully aware, Permission should be given in wtng from the responsible adult and the massage should be explained toa child Femember that itis ivitational and never imposedCe ee ee ee) PLAYING FOR LIFE 19 Weather Massage “Today itis cloudy’ — all ten fingers placed gently all over the back ‘Now the rain is falling’ — fingertips sprinkling, ‘It gets heavier’ — stronger finger movements. ‘Now the thunder starts’ ~ end of fists press firmly. ‘Then the lightning’ — sides of hands make diagonal lines. ‘The rain starts to slow down’ — fingertips again. ‘At last the sun comes out’ ~ big strong circle with both hands. ‘And then a rainbow’ — strong arc with both hands. Wit, YOM) Whip Mil hSeasons Massage ‘The earth is frozen from a long winter’— palms press firmly on the back. ‘Little seeds are beginning to grow’ — individual fingertips all over. ‘The leaves are sprouting’ ~ mould with hands. “The flowers open’ — hands spread over the back. “The blooms are strong’ ~ hands even stronger. ‘The winds start to blow’ ~ hands sway on back. ‘The petals fall’ ~ fingertips lightly over the back. ‘The seed pods burst’ ~ stronger finger tips. ‘The snow starts to fall’ — light hand movements. “Waiting for spring again’ — firm movements.PLAYING FOR LIFE 21 (create your own movements) Flour goes in the bow! Rub in pieces of fat or drops of oil Drop in some currants ‘Mix them together Pour in some water Mix it very thoroughly ‘Mould it into a cake Bake it warmlymecrearive ptay If you feel that you would prefer a ‘basic massage’, the following simple exercises can be done to a CD, or to a song, or toa hummed melody of your own, Basic Massage Place your hands across each shoulder as you work on the child’s back. Fingers forward, thumbs to the back | Use the thumbs to firmly massage across the shoulders. With the heel of the palms of both hands, massage in firm large circles right over the back. With the sides of the hands, lightly ‘karate chop’ all over the back. Take a deep breath, place your mouth close to the back and blow through the shirt/blouse. This is known as a ‘hot potato’ and the result is very warm and soothing! et eeThe Tree of Human Rights the Introduction 1 discuss the importance of the new Human Rights islation, especially for the well-being of the child. Having read the ideas play and massage in this chapter, create your own idea of a “Tree of Rights’. What are the roots? The trunk? The blossom? The fruit? in and label your own tree and make it about yourself, the reader. about how you could develop this exercise with children.2N-CREATIVE PLAY ‘Another idea is to use the quotation in the box as an inspiration, Draw for ‘yourself your own riverbanks with a river flowing. Create all the things on the riverbanks that for you are important human rights. Human Rights are the banks ofthe river within which life an flow in freedom and dignity ‘Shulamith Koenig, UN Human Rights Award winner, 2003Worksheet 1.1 Planting, a seed Nome Date This is the seed of change | would like to plant. This is how the change will look. susie og amram using Hmenncmnimprecndmosei ¢ OSDWorksheet 1.2 Looking atter the seedsWorksheet 1.3 : How aw | feeling, today? Name Date Anger Fear Sorrow Colour and draw in the circles to show how you are feeling now. OO oon nin ef CRE sesiuar esau iaanouniey en= Worksheet 1.4 This is how other people in wy (te are feeling Nome Date Angry Unhappy Not OK PS O60 Draw and colour how the people in your life are feeling about you. Think and write about which picture you would like to change. cmcitua agg menanroR nem Haneef OLOBO@©OO®e Worksheet 1.5 [about my past or during this session] ° x Not OK Angry Scared Unhappy Happy How | feel How | feel or during last week!_1, ‘or other little little little little little little Ideas for change: please tick one some lots some lots some lots some lots some lots some lots cure 9 moan consi ie oneness OERCHAPTER 2 hy Body - hyself ren. ‘We get professionally concerned when we cannot decide on the guidelines for our work with children. TWwo parallel agencies currently say: We do not allow any touching between teachers and pupils’ - “We allow appropriate touch providing it is agreed’. Where can the hapless person tur if they are receiving such conflicting messages? My own view is that if we say no touch is permissible with young vulnerable children, we are giving them a very distorted experience of life and a rarefied role model when we are trying to develop a ‘normalisation process’. For children who have been abused in any way, to deprive them of the possibility ‘of healthy touch is surely likely to exacerbate their situation. To say to children that no touch is allowed is to make a statement thet all touching is bad. How will children develop in a wholesome way if that is the absolute statement? ‘We know that ck {or that is seer ldren who are not touched do not thrive and the evidence countless pictures of institutionalised infants who are just left in cots because there is no time for touch or any other human interaction, Because touch can be abusive, invasive or imposed this is not @ valid reason for forbidding it altogether. I make no apology for such @ forceful statement because I believe we will seriously damage the health of the nation if we continue to disallow touch for damaged children. I would £0, ‘as far as to say that the more damaged the child, the more they need. appropriate touch experience, because we are dealing with a ‘relearning’“experience. A child needs to re-experience and learn in a fundamental way ‘that touch is not necessarily dangerous or inappropriate. They in turn, we ‘hope, will be able to form positive physical attachments with their own partners and children. Touch needs to be strong and robust as well as soothing and caressing. Mock fights and strugsles develop our sense of Dolly elt. ‘We learn about appropriate touch through healthy attachments to our ts If these attachments are distorted in any way so that the child who Yover-held’‘under-held’ or is‘distortedly held’ (Jennings, 1990), then repair safe touch is essential. If we cannot repair our anxieties and our then we are likely to self-harm, to starve or to lash out against Our bodies are essential for our sense of well-being and for healthy ips with others. Our bodies are our means of survival bodies are our primary means of learning. We understand something ly before we grasp it intellectually. For example, we can go into a and feel uncomfortable, or the hairs come up on the backs of our because we have picked up an atmosphere through our bodies. We are and it is usually some moments later before we can discern what is jing through our thought processes. ‘Our bodies respond through our five main senses: smell, sight, taste, hearing, ‘touch. Our senses are our means of processing what is going on around us,BB.CREATIVE PLAY and our senses can become distorted, blocked or overloaded, (Jennings. 2004a, d), We often have to smell artificial odours that are manufactured to cover up other smells. Our sight receives a barrage of input from screens and signs, Our tastebuds are artificially stimulated through processed and junk food. Our hearing is distorted through overloud sounds and music; and touch can be smothering, or violent, or just absent. ‘We need our sensory system if we are to develop in a balanced way in relation to the people around us. Our senses need to be fully operational and ‘we learn about them in early play. Our sensory system is also part of our bodily system: it is part of our body function. The words for the senses are so important that they have also become metaphors. We speak of something creating ‘a bad smell’ or ‘there will be a big stink’ or ‘I just don't see it’ or “don’t you see what I'am saying?” We say "You are not hearing me’ to mean “you are not understanding me’, We speak about ‘good taste’ or ‘what taste in cars?” Perhaps the sense we most frequently use as a metaphor is touch;‘I was very touched by your concern’, ‘that was such a touching letter’, “she touched everyone with her powerful appeal’. There is certain irony for me that touch is the sense that we are most ambivalent about. ‘When I talk with teachers, playworkers and play therapists, indeed people who work with children in many different settings, they will almost always say that they feel ambivalent about the use of touch in therapy. They are anxious about touch being misconstrued and misunderstood, leading to possible accusation and litigation. Other people will say that we are not ‘touchy-feely’ people, that it does not come ‘naturally’ to us. Some people use a different argument that culturally we are different from people in, say, Mediterranean countries:"they are always hugging each other’ or “they show their feelings in public’ ‘This attitude creates @ powerful barricade against touch: “I might be sued, I ‘am being unnatural, I am going against my traditional norms’. Yet if we ‘balance it against the overwhelming amount of crime against other people's bodies and the sharp curve in the incidence of self-harming by children well as adults, we need (o rethink many assumptions and prejudices.ch patterns are established from birth and primary attachments are ‘with the primary carers of babies and small children. When these ‘are not formed, which can be for many different reasons, then it will well-being of the developing child. When parents are ‘there’ for child, not only in terms of a physical presence but also a mental focus, ‘a non-verbal statement that communicates I am here for you and I be distracted’. play experiences are all physical and relate to how we are shown and feel secure, contrasted with surprises, fun and a sense of “The secure childs achild who has been affirmed in their physical and is therefore able to walk away or hide and tolerate separation, 'we are developing ‘body work’ with damaged children, there are three | areas on which we need to focus: Development: differentiating my five primary senses, re- encing my senses which may have become distorted through abuse Learning to trust my senses. Jing in my body can have an image of my body. Correcting the distorted body ‘Movement: fine tuning and body parts; whole body movement and jon; my body in space: balance and flexibility; my social body ‘moves with others; my cultural body that is unique.Sensory Development If children have a balanced sensory experience when they are small, it gives them the basis for healthy emotional and physical development. Indeed ‘primary attachment’ is largely based on a sensory relationship with our parents or caregivers We form our first attachment to the person who stimulates and satisfies our sensory needs. We establish the smell of our ‘mothers. We feel secure in surroundings that look familiar. We are fed by our ‘mothers, we are attuned to her voice and we respond to her touch. Our early life isa sensory experience, in relation to our primary carer who is most often ‘our mother. Even before we are born we are receiving sensory input. Babies in the womb are able to respond to light and dark, they suck their thumbs, they can and junk food. Thee is ao an adicdon to trl food addtvesSel-arm ‘and addiction increase the possibility of rageful and violent expression. : ‘There not space hereto bcs these socal iss which ae currently the subject of parliamentary, political, educational, parental and local : authority debate But we can acknowledge her tat adctions and toxic ‘substances influence anti-social behaviour in extreme ways. The questions I . ‘wish to ask here are: Why is life so dreadful that young people want to just block it out? Despite knowing the medical facts, why do children and young people still ingest harming substances? ‘Are we able to create ‘other worlds’ of the imagination where the fury and rage can be expressed in artistic forms? Through physical activity? Through projective techniques? Through dramatic play? Through story and theatre? Dance, hovement ard Sport Many children who are almost “bursting out of their bodies’ respond positively to sports activities and to movement and dance. Sufficient provision of services should be made for such activities. We may also need to look at dance-movement therapy as well as play therapy. Meanwhile we can ‘make sure that we have enough footballs and space, large bounce balls and trampoline activity to really achieve a working out of angry energy. There are two intertwined threads here: «¢ understanding why we feel so angry and addressing those issues ‘ finding channels for our physical energy in socially acceptable and preferably collaborative ways. aaa . eres we noProjective Ideas As well as the activities on the worksheets at the end of this chapter, many children need to find ways of articulating their rage, for example: ‘¢ From newspapers and magazines cut out all the angry words and make a collage. Colour and join up the words with angry colours too. ‘© Cut out words, images and phrases to create an angry poem and say it out oud in your most angry voice. ‘¢ Use a puppet to read your angry words or poem on your behalf. Who ‘would you like to hear these words? ‘© Perhaps you might consider writing an angry letter to the person, using words cut out of newspapers or your own words and picture. ‘# Create your own cartoon story ike in the comics where there are shouts and fights and POW!se cacarive PLAY ———————————————————————— Role and Story Techniques ‘The story of ‘Pele the Angry Fite Goddess’ can be read to a child. It can also, be drawn or painted or enacted with movement and drama, A voleano ean be created in the sand tray or ina large picture. All the angry words you ean think of can be written in the crater. Pele the Angry Fire Goddess ele enjoys playing with fire and upsets everybody nearby with her fires. Her mother Haumea, the earth goddess does ‘not understand her fascination with fire: how she loves to watch the flame build up from a tiny, tiny spark until it becomes a blaze, and how the twigs begin to crackle very quietly ‘and then grow into a roar. Pele wonders atthe faint smell of the wood smoke which gradually {fill her nostrils and permeates her hair and clothes. She loves to ‘gather the logs and fel the touch of bark and smooth mosses. Then ‘she and her friends roast vegetables and eggs in the glowing embers ‘and sit round the fire and have a wonderful feast. ‘At ast her mother has had enough and she is fed up with all the complaints from the neighbours They accuse Pele of being a bad influence on their own children. ‘She is just wild, she is out of control, they say."You must do something about it or there will be a big accident’ Then the neighbours stomp away. They are very angry. Haumea has had enough. Her young daughter will not do what she says soit i ultimatum time. ‘You are 10 leave this house and not ‘come back,’ her mother says. She raises her hand to silence Pele as “she tries to iterrupt.‘Not another word. I have warned you time ‘and again, and you know what the neighbours are saying. Out you ‘go! You will have to fend for yourself now." i ee 1 Se ee ate ree ateTHE EVE OF THE STORM BT ‘her family 0 find a home of her own. Some stores say takes her sisters with her, but they do not end up in her Awonder where they go? Meanwhile Pele i lighting fires the seabed and is causing explosions, much to the anger of the sea goddess. Pele stats a series of explosions that the islands of Hawaii. Namaka challenges her to a fight. ‘have a furious baitle and an enormous jet of steam goes high the air, taller than any mountain, and the huge explosion {ito the volcanic island called Kilauea, sis now Pele's home and she can be seen riding her chariot the fire, laughing and shouting. Her anger is now a game some of the local young men come and try to jump the flames their manliness. isa litle older now and can be seen having a rest from her fire as she sleeps at the edge of the crater, knowing that her fires snow under control. The local people throw white hibiscus {nto the volcano as a protection against he volcano geting ‘of control and overwhelming their village. Pele sits and ‘occasionally asking them for a light for her cooking fire. ‘of Hephaestus the Angry Metalworker’ can be read and the child Person can choose which scene to paint or to model in clay. You can of any of the characters, and think about the forge that has in the cave under the sea. The whole story can be dramatised, Look at Chapter 10 for ideas on dramatising stores into plays. Hephaestus the Angry Metalworker In ancient Greece, where the gods are very active in the ways of world and many use thunderbolts and lighting 10 ‘express their anger, a new child, Hephaestus is born. His parents are Zeus and Hera, the king of the gods and the goddess ofthe harvest, and they do not want this child. Indeedthey have an enormous argument that he has been born at al, especially as he has one leg longer than the other. They go up onto the cliff tops where Zeus whirls Hephaestus around his head by his ankle and casts him into the sea below. His parents are sure he will be dead. However, they are wrong. Hephaestus lands in the sea with an enormous splash and slowly {floats to the surface near the shoreline. He is gasping for air and flail his limbs as he ties to stay afloat, with all the strength of a survivor. He opens his lungs and bawls Two water nymphs hear his shouts ‘and swim over to him. They decide to care for this abandoned baby: ‘They create «safe place in an underground cave just at the edge of. the beach. Hephaestus grows into a fine, strong young man. He is very good with his hands and despite his strenguh, is able to create very delicate metal ornaments. He is the only god who is disabled, and the is very angry that his parents caused his limp by throwing him {nto the sea. He uses the voleano as his forge to temper precious ‘metals and has his craftroom in a cave under the sea. Fe perfects his creative sills and in time is making filigree pieces of jewellery ‘and gold-encrusted furniture. ‘The fame of Hephaestus spreads far and wide and he is asked 10 ‘make many things for the gods and for mortals who are always. delighted with his work and craft skill Soon he decides to make a sift for his mother and creates the most exquisite chair he has ever ‘made, It is encrusted in pure gold and rare precious stones, truly a chair for a queen. Hera, his mother, is delighted and comes to Mount Olympus 10 accept her gift. She processes grandly to the throne-ike chair and sits down in a very dignified manner. Snap, Snap! Immediately Jjewelled handcuffs and ankle cuffs lock her into the chair, like the iron jaws of an animal trap. She isso startled that intially she is speechless. Then she demands to be released. Her som ignores her aTHE EVE OF THE STORM and she gets more and more angry. His father Zeus joins in and orders Hephaestus 10 release his mother, but he delights in just ‘turning away. Bork his parems are besides themselves with rage ‘and shout and wave their arms, but to no avail. Hephaestus is savouring sweet revenge at last! Eventually Dionysus, the god of wine and partes, takes Hephaestus out for the evening. They both have a lot of sweet wine and talk late {nto the night. For once Dionysus is very reasonable and suggests that there might be a compromise. Hephaestus in his mellow state, ‘agrees, and the next day says that he will free his mother ifshe will introduce him to a beautiful bride. His mother does just that and Hephaestus is married soon “afierwards, which is another story. Meanwhile, he forgives his ‘mother and father, having punished them for their extreme cruelty. He continues to become even better known for his exquisite ‘crafismanship and as the god who overcame his disability in the service of beauty Containment of Rage Whatever strategies we may use with the children for exploring the e Of feelings, especially fury and rage, we must be sure that appropriate containment is in place. Stories themselves both set limits and contain through the structure of a beginning, middle and end. We also can use metaphor and images rather than ‘the thing itself. Children who are able to learn ‘as if are already a long way towards transforming their feelings into creative rather than actual expression. For example, [can learn the actor's technique of fighting or shouting as if Lam angry rather than actually being angry. This is where dramatic play and drama really come into their own,tone time, therapists would be very scornful of acted’ feelings and suggest they were not authentic or that they would represent ‘the false self”. However, largely through the endeavours of play therapists and dramatherapists, we now realise that the simulated feelings of the actor are actually what is needed by the person whose feelings are uncontained. If T can behave as if I want to kill someone rather than actually killing them, to take an extreme example, I will be using my imagination and creative capacity to communicate a whole range of feelings that otherwise will eat away inside me. In the play of Medea, she is violently jealous that Jason has left her and moved into the palace with the princess, She plots revenge. First senda slave To Jason, asking him to come to me; and then 1 give him soft ak: el him he has acted well, “Tell him | hink this royal mariage which he has bought ‘With my betrayal is forthe best and wisely planned, But shall beg that my children be allowed to stay, Not that | would think of leaving sons af mine behind (On enemy soil for who hate me to insult, But in my plat to kill the princess they must hel, I send them to the palace bearing gifts, a dress Of soft weave and a coronet of beaten gold, | ‘And all who touch her will expire in agony; With sucha deadly poison I anoint my gifts. Euripides, Medea 773-786 Miviininee itn aera rr Ww nN non |THE EVE OF THE STORM 61 If I can read these murderous and jealous lines that actually lead to the killing of not only the princess and Jason but also Medea's children as if lam in this character, then I shall have succeeded in setting some boundaries on my own feelings and shall have created containment through the text.Story Sheet 1 The story of the angry giant Name Date There is a very angry giant who lives in the caves at the other side of the hills. He cannot remember a time when he was not angry. It is so long ago that he cannot remember the reason for his anger. One day, he wakes up in the dark cave to a very loud noise. There is thunder and lightning and the whole sky is lit up like fireworks. The thunder is so loud that it feels inside his head. The giant crawls further back into the cave to try and shut ‘out the noise but if anything it gets louder. He is very puzzled and puts his hands over his ears. It is still loud He goes back to the opening of the cave and looks across the valley to the stormy skies and very slowly the storm begins to get smaller. Soon he can just hear the rumblings in the distance. ‘Hm’, said the giant to himself, ‘it is like me — sometimes | feel very angry and sometimes it just rumbles like the storm. No wonder other people are scared of me.’ Continued on the next sheet ee ee . ae nr nnn PiStory Sheet 4 Continned The angry giant sat and thought, and tried to keep his anger just a rumble, like the disappearing storm. He then decided he would: do you think the giant does? Finish the story in your words and draw pictures if you would like to. What makes you very angry? You can continue your story on the back of this sheet. Se tiner mca punmeeo oy mg eee meses tonne nat of: Worksheet 3.2 What is my anger like? Name Date Itis very hard to put it into words so often | put it into actions. When | put it into actions, sometimes people get hurt. ‘Sometimes the people get hurt and they are not the people | feel angry with The people | feel angry with are often too strong for me to hurt. (Ze @ This is the colour of my anger. It feels like a: Voleano Flash of Snorling i Me tiger lam angry because (words or pictures) I want (who?) to understand how angry | am. | would like to tell (who?) how angry | am. How can | change my anger and what can help me? eoennuonpinrpacraninedn i: f SATEWorksheet 3.2 About wy anger Name Date Anger comes in many ways. It can erupt like a volcano or explode like an earthquake. It can snarl or snap or scratch. It can hit or bite or thump. ‘Anger can scream or shout or yell. It can tear or rip or break. Sometimes anger stays inside and stops people eating and sleeping. It can make headaches and other pains. It can send bad dreams. These are the angry people | know: 30 ®™Oe@® | know they are angry because: They look like They sound like: They throw or break things like: | think they are angry with me because: When other people are angry | usually fee! When other people are angry | usually do: | must remember that when people get angry with me it is not my fault. am not a bad person just because other people get angry with me. | must not let other people's bad feelings get inside me so | cannot grow. I can and | will grow and | will continue to be someone very special. You can continue your answers on the back of this sheet. Amores oRveseC ema oue” Wosn memes raced sine ORWorksheet 3.3 Words for lay angry a FED UPI = Vel _ aN gonaneh “ShIyg feustratedll { | ZRAETA TED) Furiowsll ragefull SEETHING! Colour the words that express your anger. What makes you a little angry? sz stnng pase myc Hw en ee27 Worksheet 3.4 Angry words and colours Name Date Below is a drawing with four circles and underneath that, four squares. Choose different colours to fill in the squares to show which angry feeling you have, then colour the circles to show how much you feel that mood. The small circle means you feel it only a little, then the circles grow in size until the last one, which means you feel it a lot. Angry Unhappy Furious, Seething romenn § QAI nua Yn Ay omCHAPTER 4 hessy hish hash ara Splodgy Splat | eee tees halon With ey yun en we ap th mes ions te J ot ny ter or hy ae ig irrcupembl but oe cen shadow btn tack “The opposite of messy play is orderly play and alot of orderly play goes with sanitised play or painting by numbers or creating with kis In Chapter 51 talk about the importance of natural substances in elation to sand and water play, and objects from nature being used for sculpting. Messy ply is very ‘much linked to this and through exploring natural substances we are able to understand ther thythm, ther order. Eventually we shal be able to find our own rhythm and our own order. ‘The making of mud pies and the planting of seeds in a garden, or in an indoor garden if necessary, bring children into touch with the real earth and the tages of growing, When I talk about being ‘in touch’, I am not using this, phrase as a metaphor, but literally being in touch and being able to feel and handle something ~ a little hands-on dirt! The planting of seeds, beans, or sunflowers, or cress or mung beans allows a natural order to come of the ‘mess, From the mucking about comes an order that can be observed and the developmental stages can be watched, drawn or written about and enacted in dramatic play. WHO IMMVHnHenoHAnannane |