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No matter what happens with "Original Play", it can seem very offensive at first glance: adults are wrestling with small children, they climb over each other and lie on top of each other, hugging each other tightly. The adults are not the parents and not the permanent educators of the children. These are external trainers who previously had nothing to do with the children. They have come to play with the little ones - in their day-care centers, on colorful mats.
The American Fred Donaldson invented the method. He called it "Original Play", translated into something like "primordial game". He wrote two books about it. On the homepage it says about him: "His playmates are children with special needs, gang members, refugees and street children, prison inmates, cancer patients, dolphins, whales, lions, grizzly bears, wolves, baboons and butterflies."
Would you entrust your child to Mr. Donaldson and his method? Many people are currently looking for a very quick and unambiguous answer: no. Especially not since the ARD reported a week ago about "Original Play". The headline was "Child Abuse in German Kitas".
The article was about allegations parents had made several months ago. Two Protestant daycare centers in Hamburg and Berlin had tried "Original Play". In both, it should have come to attacks and wrongdoing. The prosecutors have stopped the investigation, because the suspicion can not be confirmed.
Prohibitions in several federal states
What happened exactly then is hard to understand. There are parents who did not feel that their concerns were taken seriously and turned on the press. There are also parents who see their kitty leads and the concept of "original play" completely wrongly denounced.
At any rate, it is clear that the allegations have made a difference. The education authorities in Bavaria, Hamburg and Brandenburg had previously forbidden or advised against the method. Now Berlin has also moved. It can not be ruled out that "endangering the well-being of the child," wrote the education administration on Wednesday to all daycare providers in the country.
The reaction sounds comprehensible: Better to forbid something early than regret it later. Better not take any risks. Finally, it is about the protection of children and the fear-filled topic of abuse.
The ban is the wrong way. Because the approach that the creators of "Original Play" pursue is a good one. Children should be aware of which and how much physicality they want to allow. And how they can deal with each other without hurting each other.
Parents can join
The principle is simple: Specially trained adults sit with children on a mat. They invite the children to romp and wrestle with them. But the first step always comes from the children. They should decide for themselves if and when they want to participate. And if they join in, they should learn to gauge their powers correctly and not over-tighten or even beat so they do not hurt anyone.
Usually, as the organizers wish, there are several adults in the room, the parents are informed in advance and can participate or watch if they want. Is it theoretically possible that attacks happen? Naturally. Conditions can be violated.
But we also do not prohibit judo because a judo teacher has sold out to a student. We do not stop gymnastics, although a team doctor has passed at least 250 gymnasts. Abuse can happen anywhere, it is terrible and we must do everything we can to make it harder for us to persecute the perpetrators.
Body contact belongs in the day care centers
You could have tightened the editions for "Original Play" or could even better control it. For example, one could prescribe that a parent representative must always be present. But it does not help if we ban a method that brings important questions to the daycare center: how much physical proximity is too much? And how can we allow and moderate closeness so that it strengthens and does not weaken children?
Because body contact belongs in daycare centers such as building blocks and picture books. Children often seek out this proximity on their own. And educators must be able to hug them and hold them on their laps to comfort them, to read to them, to build a bond that is hardly possible for children of this age and without trusting touch.
Children should feel safe. And at the same time they should learn that they are allowed to decide for themselves if they want body contact. The coaches who use "original play" want to give them exactly that. It is a pity that this method is now widely discredited.
