Let’s be real, level 3 lockdown at the start of a new year has made us more confined to our homes once again. We have to be wary of any public places and are faced with entertaining our children within our four walls during the school holidays. As parents, we need to keep our sanity while not letting our children’s screen-time completely take over. Although our lives are busy, there is ALWAYS time for play! Whether it be helping your child in the morning or before bed, time spent driving, or scheduling time specifically for it- play is so important, and here is why.
Playing with your child can build healthy brains
Although we know children playing by themselves is important for their own development, confidence, and education, playing with your baby, toddler or child has long-lasting positive effects for the both of you or collectively as a family.
Jessica Sinarski points out that psychologists Baylin and Hughes in their book The Neurobiology of Attachment-Focused Therapy, write, “Play appears to engage a cocktail of brain chemistry that helps make it a powerful social process.” They further explain that play promotes brain development, especially in the crucial prefrontal cortex or “upstairs brain,” which is the home of executive functioning, healthy social skills, impulse control, creativity, and joy. Sinarski ends by saying: “I don’t know about you, but we could use more of all those things in my family” (www.heysigmund.com)
Playing with your child brings out your inner-child and energises you
Parents, we encourage you to play and to do it every day! Not only will it light up your face and your children’s, it will release your inner-child which will, in turn, leave you feeling happy and energised. Lawrence Cohen, a psychologist based in Massachusetts argues that “We need to spend more time joining children where they live, instead of all the time dragging them into our world, which is the world of schedules and chores and planned activities. Those things have to be done, but when they take over our family’s life, what gets shortchanged is play” (todaysparent.com)
Maybe play doesn’t come naturally to you or your spouse and you rely on your other children or children’s friends to take the reins. Jessica Sinarski notes that not everyone feels comfortable or confident in their ability to be a playful parent. She says: “Remember, play doesn’t always have to be silly. You can try starting small, like using a little playful tactic called the “love mark.” To do this with your child, offer a marker or two and let your child draw on your hand, wrist, shoulder – wherever you feel comfortable. You can then draw on them with the same marker and remind them that you both have a little piece of each other all day, even when you’re separated. (www.sigmund.com)
Playing with your child builds connection and a stronger relationship
Because children love to play, they can relate to people through it. Whether it be verbally or nonverbally. Ashley Soderland writes: “I am all for connecting with your kids and having deep heart-to-hearts. That is important and cannot be discounted. But, especially with younger kids, connection happens through play.” (nurtureandthriveblog.com)
Soderland also notes that each time pre-school teachers ask her son, “why do you love your mom?” Every single year her son says “I love my mom because she plays with me a lot.” (nurtureandthriveblog.com). Thus her child describes his relationship with a parental figure through fun and play, that’s how he sees connection.
Need some play inspiration? Here are some play ideas
Race each other (playfully) to get things done or talk in a silly or exaggerated voice or incorporate sensory play into routine. For example, when it’s time to get ready for bed, bear crawl, crab walk or hop like kangaroos toward the bedroom with your child. (www.heysigmund.com)
Janet Smith in her blog, 5 ways to be a more playful parent advises how to turn tedious activities into more fun such as tidying up toys: instead of stopping playtime for tidying, make cleanup a game. Psychologist Lawrence Cohen, asks kids to pretend they’re a vacuum or a magnet to see how many toys can get sucked up or stuck to their hands. Estey, a certified parenting educator and partner at Toronto’s Parenting Network says, let the concept of musical chairs be your guide: Turn the tunes on and off as they tidy. Whoever’s caught with a toy in her hands instead of the bin has to pick up two more before the game starts again. “You’re going to be picking up toys for years,” she says. “You might as well make it enjoyable—there’s no sense in getting into a power struggle over it.” (Todaysparent.com)
The benefits of play as a family can’t be stressed enough, we hope that you have a playful year!
References:
Playful Parenting Builds Better Brains: 10 Tools For Success
