Rest, Play, Grow Quotes

“Children are not meant to work for love. They are meant to rest in someone’s care so that they can play and grow; this is why relationships matter.”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“The characteristics a young child exhibits that make them difficult to care for are the same ones we will long for as they become adults—saying no, disagreeing, and having their own ideas, plans, and purpose.”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“Our children need a self to share, a heart that feels, a mouth that tells, and a belief that the richness in life comes from experiencing it in a vulnerable way.”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“It is a road map for growing a child into a separate, independent being who assumes responsibility for directing their own life and for the choices they make.”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“Good development requires patience and faith. The problem with pushing and controlling is they can interfere with providing what children really need. They can create stressful environments where children feel there is something wrong with the way they are.”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“there is nothing like the force of an immature child to test the maturity level in a parent.”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“When trouble ensues, among the first questions to ask are whether the child was placed in a situation that was too much for them developmentally and whether expectations for behaviour were realistic.”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“It moves a child from depending upon adults and unlocks the desire to venture forth, discover, or make sense of their experiences. Play is where the spirit that underlies growth is revealed and vitality is expressed. In short, play is the act of self-creation. The type of play young children need is characterized by freedom, enjoyment, and a leap into settings to explore. They need bounded spaces in which to freely move, with perimeters formed by the adults who care for them. Play is a spontaneous act that arises from a particular state of mind—you can’t teach or command a child to play. There are three essential characteristics to play: it is (1) not work, (2) not for real, and (3) expressive and exploratory. This definition can be used to evaluate what activities truly foster ideal conditions for play.”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“Are we forming children who are only capable of learning what is already known? Or should we try to develop creative and innovative minds, capable of discovery from the preschool age on, throughout life?”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“One parent was aghast at my suggestion that young children shouldn’t always win. She asked, “Are you saying I shouldn’t let my five-year-old win at chess each time we play? He’s just little.” I responded by asking her where she thought it best her child learn about not being the winner all the time. She contemplated this question and conceded that perhaps she did have a role to play in preparing her son for losing on the playground at school.”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“A right relationship with a parent gives the child someone to turn to who can take the sting out of shame (when feeling something is wrong with who they are), reduce separation (when being rejected, unwelcome, or uninvited), and lower alarm (when feeling unsafe physically and emotionally).”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One

“It moves a child from depending upon adults and unlocks the desire to venture forth, discover, or make sense of their experiences. Play is where the spirit that underlies growth is revealed and vitality is expressed. In”
― Deborah MacNamara, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One