Compare And Contrast Lupah And Robby

Lupita, Sarah, and Robby exhibited egocentrism, meaning they see situations from their point of view. Lupita and Sarah used symbolic thinking when they made leaves and sticks represent the walls of their pretend house. Robby also may have used symbolic thinking to make the climbing structure into a “fort”. Lupita and Sarah followed simple rules they created during their fantasy play. All three children have a finer understanding of cause and effect. They also demonstrated feeling powerful and excited about their own abilities.
Robby interfered with the girls play perhaps because he wanted to play with the girls, but not necessarily the same game they were playing. Maybe he was trying to get their attention when he stepped over the wall of their house, enticing them to chase him and engage in play together. Another reason Robby may have intruded on the girls’ play was because it seems Robby may have been thinking more concretely when he referred to the girls’ make believe wall, saying “I can too get in.” Perhaps the sticks and leaves did not seem like real walls to him and he took it as a challenge to show the girls he could step over them. Maybe he felt powerful when he stepped over the wall of the girls’ house. Also, Robbie said, “It’s not really your house.” This may imply Robby maybe saw his climbing structure “fort” as more of a real structure because it has an actual frame and mass to it, as
opposed to the “walls” of the girls’ house. This also alludes to Robby thinking more concretely than symbolically, like the girls. Lupica and Sarah had refused to include other children in their fantasy play by the tree when they said, “You can’t play. We got here first. This is our house.” Imaginably, Robby may have felt sad the girls only wanted to play by themselves and jealous of the girls’ house by the tree and their friendship.
Lupita and Sarah were furious with Robby when he broke the wall of their house. Perhaps the were angry because he didn’t play by the rules of their game. Or it could be because they didn’t want him to play and he invited himself into their game. Maybe it was because he challenged their make-believe walls and didn’t believe in them as real walls. Perhaps the girls’ were angry because Robby teased them by running away, sticking out his tongue and saying, “Nanny, nanny, boo, boo!”
I mostly agree with Miss Gresham’s handling of the problem. She was sensitive to both the girls’ and Robbie’s feelings. She remained neutral to help facilitate resolution of the conflict. She took the time to guide the children through their conflict, taking care first to ask the girls if they wanted her help to tell Robby how they felt. She was gentle and understanding in her approach with Robby. She used a respectful authoritative style of interaction with Robby. She modeled to Robby how she sometimes makes mistakes, too, and people get mad at her. I might have changed what she said to Robby when she first approached him at the structure. Instead of saying, “I think they’re feeling very angry,” I might have simply said, “I think they want to tell you how they are feeling.” Then I would allow the girls to say how they felt when Robby broke into their house. When the teacher speaks for the girls and tells Robby how they are feeling, she is assuming anger is the feeling Lupita and Sarah are experiencing. Neither girl said they were angry, even though it was expressed in their voices and expressions. The teacher should allow the girls the opportunity to practice identifying and labeling their own feelings. Maybe she could have asked them in front of Robby, “What do you want to talk to Robby about?” When they start talking about how he broke their house she could follow up with, “How did you feel when Robby broke your house?” After this, I might ask the girls what it is they want to ask Robby. Or what do they want to have happen. I would have also followed up with asking Robby, “What were you trying to do when you went over the wall of the girls’ house?” As well as, “Robby is there anything you want to tell the girls?”
If Miss Gresham had responded to Robby with an angry voice and negative punishment instead of with gentleness and understanding, Robby may not have come down from the structure at all, instead he might have run away.
He might have felt resentful, or angry. He might have shut down emotionally and put up an emotional barrier wall. It could have strained his relationship with his teacher resulting in a lack of trust and respect. Also, Robby might not have learned anything about conflict resolution or how to face others when they are mad and you are
scared. Immediately after reading the vignette, I thought Miss Gresham’s approach to the problem was appropriate and I wouldn’t change anything. However, after answering the questions, I realized how many different possibilities there were for Robby’s intrusion in the girls’ play, all of them normal behavior for five-year-olds. I reexamined my thoughts on the case and decided I was siding with the girls because they were the ones who were being intruded upon and went to get help from the teacher. But what about Robby? He didn’t break the girls’ house because he was trying to be mean. We can only hypothesis as to why he broke the wall. After analyzing this case I believe it is necessary for caregivers to remain as neutral as possible. We don’t know the whole story, what each child is feeling, what triggered those feelings, or what normal developmental behavior is at play. It is important for caregivers to have a thorough understanding of child development theories, in conjunction with knowledge of where each child in our care is at developmentally. It is also important as caregivers to know and practice the proper steps in conflict resolution. Miss Gresham was sensitive and gentle when Robby was hesitant to come down off the structure and face the girls. As caregivers, if we can guide children through these frightening situations when they naturally arise, these children will be much better equipped to navigate through conflicts as adults. They will have the memory to recall on, even if it is subconscious, and they will feel more confident that they will be okay even in they made a mistake.