ABSTRACT
Just what is that, really, the child’s hour? It is one of those rare times, one of those rare relationships in which the child directs herself, a time when the child determines how time will be used. No effort is made to direct the child’s play. This is a special time belonging to the child to do with in accordance with his wishes, to make of as he chooses. The child can be just as slow as he wants, inch along, and no one says, “Hurry up.” The child can be grumpy, act grumpy, look grumpy, and no one says, “Be happy.” The child can do nothing, accomplish nothing, and no one says, “Get busy. Do something.” The child can be loud, noisy, bang things together, and no one says, “Be quiet.” The child can be silly, giggle, laugh right out loud, and no one says, “Act your age.” The child can be small, tiny, suck on a bottle, and no one
says, “You’re too big for that.” The child can use the glue, scissors, paste, make a space ship, and no one says, “You’re too little to do that.” This is an extraordinary, singularly uncommon time, place, and relationship when the child can be, experience, and express all she is at the moment and be accepted fully. That makes this the child’s hour.
