KIDS: IMPORTANCE OF PLAYTIME
Play builds active, healthy bodies
Play is considered secondary for kids. Between academics and play today parents constant pressure on kids is to study more and play less, as academic success is more important. Today parents are running on a trade mill to keep up yet dare not slow their pace for fear their children will fall behind. Children today spend significantly less time outdoors than children did say 30 years ago.
WHY PLAY IS ESSENTIAL:
It is important to acknowledge that play is an essential part of every child life. It plays a vital role in social, emotional, intellectual and physical development. Play is an activity where a child learns to lead, follow, cooperate, imitate plan and negotiate their own conflicts. They overcome their own strengths and weakness.
Kids who engage themselves regularly in play develop skills of teamwork, loyalty, and dedication. Even child psychologist agree most skills are obtained through play.
PLAY FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Play is a constant learning process not only for kids but for adults. It encourages adults to communicate with the children in their lives. A family bonds over a play. Play teaches adults patience and understanding between them and their kids. It helps in maintaining strong Parent – Child bonds. The quite simple play offers parents a wonderful opportunity to engage fully with their children. Every child deserves to develop their unique potential. Children practices decision-making skills more at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest and engage themselves in the passion they wish to pursue.
WHY DECLINE IN PLAY?
Academics pressure is one of the important culprits as schooling hours have increased for better academic results leaving decreased time for play. It’s not just academics we blame for, its also technology one and most important culprit. Innovations of T.V, video games, electronic games laptops, computers have contributed to keeping children indoors.
One more important factor is a single-headed family or the nuclear family in which there are no adults to supervise kids while they are playing, as parents are working with no help for kids. Peer pressure to perform better and better also contributes to depression to kids find themselves in the race of achievement at the early stage of childhood leaving back their innocence
Recent research shows that play can:
- Increase in self-awareness and self-respect.
- Kids become more confident while developing their new skills.
- The level of imagination and creativity has no limits while they engage themselves in play.
- Kids involved in regular play are more risk-taking, accepts new challenges and try to deal with the problems and situation in their own way.
- They become more socialite and are also good listeners.
The list is endless, there can be causes for a decreased amount of child direct play. With equal support of parents … educational institutes …..we can balance kids play time and education too. Happy parenting
