The Days' Diary Oradea, Romania  10 May 2009

Make peace in the middle of the storms of life. Learn to become a peace-maker, whatever the storm winds hurl at you.
Roger Charles Day

Back in print
Our apologies for the long silence. We have faced a series of personal hindrances from which we have now emerged. We are back on track.

Mirror, mirror on the wall
In three and a half years of living in Romania we have seen change beyond recognition. Within a short walk we now have access to two huge shopping malls and a third nearing completion. With 'progress' has come loss of crafts and other skills. Romania's famous hand-made pottery has been replaced by china from China. Thankfully, Christine's dream of a mirror with stained glass surround was fulfilled by a tiny but proud local company who produced a unique and beautiful handmade item within eight days.

Positive stories
As in many other countries, the Romanian school curriculum emphasises academic success at the expense of play, fun and enjoyment. Traditional stories taught to all children can lead to nightmares and depression. They include a tragic one about a man putting his wife alive into a church wall he is building. We are encouraging professionals in schools to counter these negative stories with ones having positive, heroic and successful endings.

Chance to play
Often people say at the end of our workshops: 'It gave me a chance to play.' There is good reason why we emphasise play. For generations, play was frowned on here. Generations of children have grown up with little ability to explore their world through play. Psychologists and other professionals need to acquire play skills themselves before they can be effective in using play and play therapy in helping children solve their problems.

Problem solving
When the adults we work with let go and find pure enjoyment in play, we see them come alive with a sense of fun and adventure. Once they have experienced this for themselves, they can begin to help the children they work with to find joy in play. Sometimes this is all the therapy that is needed. Research shows again and again that play builds neural pathways in children's brains that enable them to solve problems and relate to others.
Roger & Christine