Life Is Play

I love to watch the way play imitates life.

Of course, I know that children (including myself) have "played school" throughout the course of history, but when I watch my two year old in action--when her play imitates life, it almost feels as though she is the very first one.  It draws out a parental joy that is simply wonderful!  Part of the joy is watching her express and explore, but the other part of the joy is that her life-imitating play brings out a playful side in me that is not always easy to find.

I realize that the game of pretending offers many expressions of the things of life.  And in our household, there is a favorite at the moment.  I would call it the game of order-taking.  (Clearly, this says something about our daughter's experiences with restaurants...)  The game generally involves a piece of paper or notepad and a crayon or pencil or maybe even the Super Scribbler, a two year old, and a willing participant.  It goes something like this.

It begins with the order-taking:  "What do want?"

The response:  "I would like pancakes, please."

The order is written down.

Then again:  "What else do you want?"

The response:  "I would like some strawberries on the pancakes, please."

The order is written down.

Then again:  "What else do you want?"

The response:  "I would like some orange juice, please."

A brief pause:  "No.  You want milk."

The response:  "Okay, I would like some milk, please."

The order is written down.

Then again:  What else do you want?"

The response:  "I would like some hashbrowns with ketchup, please."

The order is written down.

You must certainly understand the game by now.  This is the joy of "tending," as our little one says.  Frankly, it is just plain fun.  And it is, of course, adorable because there is an actual order sheet brought forward in two year old handwriting (that really says nothing yet somehow says everything at the same time).

I think that in many ways this is play imitating life at its best.  There is fun yet also a means by which we can engage with one another.  There is laughter yet also a way to encourage a practice of cooperation.  We all love to play the game of order-taking!

With this said, we have happily realized that the lines between order-taking play and life are often rather blurry.  We knew this with certainty one day not too long ago when the doorbell rang.  It went something like this.

Ding-dong.

Two year old order-taker, WITHOUT crayon or paper in hand, takes off running.

She screams:  "It's a customer!!!!!!!"

(Cut to Mommy and Daddy stopped in their tracks by laughter.)

Yes, I love to watch the way play imitates life.  But moreover, I love that life is play!!