08/13/2025
Adulthood Bias: The Hidden Obstacle in Play Therapy 🚸
As play therapists, we know that children don’t think, reason, or communicate like adults (they don't gain abstract reasoning skills until about age 12) —yet adults often expect them to. This disconnect leads to frustration, power struggles, and misunderstandings, especially when children’s behaviors don’t make sense from an adult perspective.
This is ADULTHOOD BIAS —the tendency for adults to forget what it was like to be a child. We once experienced the world through emotion, play, and impulse, yet we no longer relate to that reality. Instead, we expect children to explain themselves, rationalize their choices, and regulate their emotions in ways they aren’t yet capable of.
How often do you hear adults ask:
❌ “Why would you do that?”
❌ “What were you thinking?”
❌ “You know better!”
Adulthood bias shows up in these moments. And in play therapy, we see firsthand how much adults need help understanding children’s worlds—not just children needing help navigating the adult world.
When we introduce this concept to parents, teachers, and other professionals, we give them a framework for shifting their interactions with kids. It helps them see why child-centered approaches are necessary and how CCPT meets children where they are developmentally—not where adults wish they were.
Have you seen adulthood bias in action? How do you help parents and caregivers shift their mindset?
