Play is serious business, DeGaetano said. If children do not spend enough time in this world of the dreamer, the artist, their development as thoughtful, self-critical adults will be stunted. We have to ask what is the best way to raise our children in a media culture. Turn the TV off when a child is doing his homework. Create a sacred space around the child.
Life is short, but childhood is even shorter.
Wallerstein, whose books have become standard reference works on the subject of divorce, said parents must do a better job of explaining why the split has taken place or else their children will be haunted by those unanswered questions well into adulthood. Children of divorce fear happiness, especially in a relationship, because they believe the other shoe will drop. They also hold onto the unrealistic hope that their parents will reconcile, even after both parents have successfully remarried. Parents must also acknowledge that their children need them most at a time when they often feel the least available. As the single parent tries to juggle the demands of work, family and possibly going back to school, the child's life often becomes increasingly chaotic.