When the dishes are scattered, the furniture on its side, and the dolls upside- down with their heads in the toilet, children avoid the dollhouse. We have busy children. They surround themselves with their creations. Over time, their past creations cramp their space. The effort required to set their workspace to rights inhibits new creations.
Free time is another oft-unrecognized gift.
I remember the marvelous unstructured summers of my own childhood. We had time to read, dream, swim, build forts, observe insects, stage carnivals, make daisy chains, watch the clouds, catch lizards and frogs, and build miniature mud villages. My children recognize the value of empty time. I'm learning the value of stillness and silence. Sometimes, nothing is the right thing to say.