Kid Jail

When I was a little girl, I always pretended to be in an orphanage. I was the orphan and played with my little sisters or cousins.

One day, I overheard my children playing in the other room. Only, they weren't playing "School" or "Orphanage" or "Family" as I've sometimes heard them describe their playtime. They were playing, "Kid Jail".

From my children's perspective, this picture can be construed as "Life as we now know it" or "Dad and Mom's life pre-kids" :-)
 

I posted something about this on Facebook and got quite a kick out of peoples' responses so I will paste them here:

OK Parenting Experts: I've enjoyed listening to my children play in the other room this afternoon. I realized they were playing "Kid Jail". When I was little I always played "Orphanage". What does this mean? Do my kids feel like they are in jail? Did I think I was an orphan?

• Ann: I played dollies but I wasn't really a mom yet. Lol

• Catherine: Great imagination! We played "Monster".
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• Monika: We always played orphanage too :-) Probably the tv drama of the times like all the law and police stuff is now.
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• Cailean: I remember playing "office" where we filled out all these pretend forms. Can you believe we thought that would be FUN as an adult? Hahaha. My guess with the jail/orphanage thing is kids pretend things they don't understand to help them feel some sense of control -- so it's not as scary.
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• Janie: I think we played "orphanage" to have an excuse to be mean to poor little Emma, I mean Jessie, without getting in trouble. :) Actually, I think we felt quite secure in the fact that we weren't orphans, so it was fun to pretend.

   
• Jess: I loved every minute, meaness intended or not... I felt included. Interesting and thought provoking question you pose Colette. I wonder...

   
• Me: Now I think I just want to have a playdate so we can play office and orphanage :-) Catherine, I think I am too gullible to play monster :-) I think "kid jail" sounds like a horrible place to be
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• Melissa: Where is that pinky doll?
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• Holly: We played school, library and market. Usually all at the same time.
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• Me: @Holly - love it, I remember staying with your family when you lived at the old white house, all the girls (or at least three of you) were in one room. I thought it was the best fun jumping from bed to bed @Melissa - my Pinky doll should be bronzed, she was so great. I hope to restore her to full playing capacity someday, right now she is taking a breather under the gray table in the laundry room downstairs in Clifton
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• Melissa:  I might search out that doll and reenact past uh memories...
  I tell sav abt us playing house with the wood blocks. The tall round ones were the parents ect. Best place to create the house was the piano bench
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• Linnae:  That's funny! My kids play hospital all the time. (I guess because of what their dad does for a living.) sometimes Jacob tells me he can't do something I've asked, because he has to go do a c-section. O-kay then!
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• Me:  Linnae - that is hilarious. I've never even thought of playing "hospital". Definitely a chuckle on this one; @Melissa - I am not worried about you and Pinky, I think all the Mom=ness in you has softened your heart and yes, those wooden blocks were the best, slightly grimy but the best