I believe strongly as I have watched my three children grow and blossom into thier own unique personalities that if they are honored and respected then they will honor and respect their parents and their world. Children that are squelched and told to be seen and not heard or even not seen nor heard will wilt and not bloom. Children are children. They aren't little adults. Children want to play and playing is what children do best.
Children learn through play.
They learn to work out conflict with themsleves and thier friends. They learn to be creative and build. They learn to imagine and express themselves. They learn how the world works by building towers and seeing gravity pull them to the ground when they get too high. Children are the cornerstone of our society, yet we in the US tend to treat them as trophies.