Puzzle Pieces

What really energizes me about play is the way that I can almost see the synapses firing as children solve problems, communicate and build confidence all while playing.  This is the core of my passion for play therapy with children.  Nothing has come before it. That was, until today.

A teen I work with decided to work on a puzzle. A puzzle is nice for older kids, they are able to chat while doing the puzzle and don’t really feel like they are “playing” because they have decided they are too old for that. So we are talking and he starts sorting the pieces.

He is carefully arranging them, starting with the corners and edges first. Then he says, “Maybe you have a piece missing” when one of the edges is not complete. I continue to observe his work and progress on the puzzle while conversing. Then I see it-the missing piece. And it screams at me, “Here I am!” And I am distracted by it. I want to point it out, give it to him.

PS This is not what the therapist is supposed to be doing! I am supposed to be focused on him and his process, his learning.  He continues working on other parts, the middle, some of the other sides, trying to fit pieces together. I keep seeing pieces that go together and it is tearing at my insides when he overlooks it!

But he gets it; he puts it together with just enough time left to do it. He enjoyed it, lost track of time and truly relaxed. He was proud of his product. This would have been a different experience had I jumped and pointed every time I figured out where a piece went. It took me back to the process and what powerful statements and learning take place when we take a step back from perfection and efficiency. It’s such a great experience to let children figure out what they can on their own terms. I challenge you to take a small step back, maybe just for today, and see what your child can learn and do.