The physical exercise and emotional stretching that children enjoy in unorganized play is more varied and less time-bound than is found in organized sports. Playtimeโespecially unstructured, imaginative, exploratory playโis increasingly recognized as an essential component of wholesome child development.
Richard LouvThe times I spent with my children in nature are among my most meaningful memories-and I hope theirs.
Richard LouvIn a famous Middletown study of Muncie, Indiana, in 1924, mothers were asked to rank the qualities they most desire in their children. At the top of the list were conformity and strict obedience. More than fifty years later, when the Middletown survey was replicated, mothers placed autonomy and independence first. The healthiest parenting probably promotes a balance of these qualities in children.
Richard LouvSome kids don't want to be organized all the time. They want to let their imaginations run; they want to see where a stream of water takes them.
Richard LouvAmerican family life has never been particularly idyllic. In the nineteenth century, nearly a quarter of all children experienced the death of one of their parents.... Not until the sixties did the chief cause of separation of parents shift from death to divorce.
Richard Louv