Creating the Rules
Young children preferred places and activities that allowed them to set their own rules. In hiding, children exercised control through choosing when, where, and from whom they wanted to hide. During my visits, the children sought out familiar and novel places, while ensuring that I followed their lead.
Furthermore, Sara and Caleb challenged and evaded parental rules in order to access their places. Although they were normally not allowed in their brother’s room or in the cabinet under the stairs, during their tour they demanded that the rule be bent, therefore gaining charge. Corsaro (2005) used the term, secondary adjustments, to describe how children International
evade or adjust rules in the creation of their own childhood culture. More often than not, children are positioned subordinately in society. Special places provided the children with spaces to set their own parameters and exercise control (Corsaro, 2005; Proshansky & Fabian, 1987; Sobel, 1992).