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Playful Defiance | Play Sighting 0034

Note: My sighting of playful defiance came with some very harsh language that I avoid here at Playvolution HQ, but I’ve decided to include it as I heard it. If you want to avoid reading what I heard, now’s the time to click away. Consider yourself warned.

Picture a lightly used public outdoor space; a woman sitting on a bench is the caregiver of two energetic toddlers.

The toddlers, all smiles and bustle, play quietly around the bench.

“Sit your fucking asses down! Don’t make me tell you again!” From a fair distance away, her anger and volume shook me.

One toddler sits. For a second. The other, demonstrating a bit of playful defiance, crawls under the bench, grabbing treasure of some sort.

“Get up here you little fuck!”

Seeking a better look at the treasure, the seated toddler slides off the bench to investigate, a look of playful defiance on her face.

“You motherfucker! Don’t make me beat your Goddamn ass. SIT DOWN, both of you.”

Both toddlers crawl under the bench in search of more treasure.

Playful Defiance Wrap Up

Children are hardwired to move, play, and explore. Adults are not always willing or able to support that. They sometimes lack the necessary knowledge. Sometimes they just don’t have the patience or the emotional energy. That doesn’t change children’s wiring. No matter how lacking an adult is in knowledge, patience, or emotional energy, children will still play–even if that play means defying an angry adult.

FYI: I hovered nearby in case her violent words turned to violent actions. A few moments later, a car pulled up, the woman’s face registered relief, and they crawled in and drove away.

Another Note: The drawing in this post’s featured image was created by Canva text-to-image AI.

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Jeff A Johnson

Jeff Johnson is an early learning trainer, podcaster, and author who founded Explorations Early Learning, Playvolution HQ, and Play Haven.

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