What Are the Positives and Negatives of Winnie the Pooh From a Developmental Aspect?

A.A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh" books feature a host of animal characters that portray different human personalities and temperaments. Winnie the Pooh is easygoing, while Rabbit is bossy. Eeyore is always depressed, and Tigger is hyperactive. The books portray a world where everyone is different and they are able to live happily together. If you read the books to your child, there are many positives and a few negatives of "Winnie the Pooh" from a child developmental aspect.

Cooperation

• One of the most positive lessons of "Winnie the Pooh" is how the different characters, with their distinct personalities, get along so well. Children can identify with the different characters and see how they live happily ever after. The stories also teach cooperation and the importance of friendship and sharing. When Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit's hole after eating too much, the group patiently waits for him to become thinner. Then they work together to pull him out. Another positive is when Kanga and Roo arrive in the 100-acre woods. At first the animals are unsure about the newcomers, but in the end Kanga and Roo and welcomed and loved.

Play

• "Winnie the Pooh" is set in the idyllic world of the 100-acre woods. Christopher Robin's imagination runs wild as he has adventures with his stuffed toys and the animals in the forest. The American Association of Pediatrics' 2007 report "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds," found that free play is essential to a child's cognitive and emotional development. Reading "Winnie the Pooh," builds bonds between children and their parents while promoting imaginative play.

ADHD

• The distinct personalities in this classic children's book can be said to exhibit the different types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to The ADHD Information Library, Pooh is disorganized and lives in the clouds. He does not have a long attention span. Tigger is hyperactive and too impulsive, while Piglet is too worrisome. Rabbit argues too much and is too stubborn. These sides of the characters' personalities may be negatives in a developmental aspect because children may believe that these behaviors are normal and acceptable. Children may mimic these undesirable traits themselves, rather than focusing on the characters' better traits.

Overeating

• Another negative with "Winnie the Pooh" is the Pooh's obsession with food. He is always on the hunt for honey and tends to overeat. Nutrition is an important issue for parents, with child obesity on the rise. This aspect of Pooh's character is detrimental for the proper development of a child's good eating habits, which may effect their physical development. In one story, Pooh eats so much that he gets stuck in Rabbit's hole, after eating everything Rabbit has to offer. In the end, Pooh must starve himself to get thinner, so everyone can pull him out. Poor eating habits such as overeating and starvation are not habits children should take up. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the childhood obesity trend is alarming. Pooh's eating habits are not inline with good nutrition and a child's physical development.