The first walk, the first words, the first tooth, the first birthday, all these things are milestones that any parent would never want to miss as they are indicative of the growth of their precious children. As parents, you may have a different style of rearing your child. You may be authoritative, authoritarian, permissive or uninvolved. You may also be a mix of all four. And mind you authoritarian and authoritative are not at all the same. As parents you should give your children just enough measure of freedom to be able to explore the world and do what they need to do. Free play is the first freedom parents confer their children. Creating a safe and accessible playground for them to explore is a responsibility parents must undertake in order to allow their children's full potential to be unleashed.
The Loss of Playtime
Play time is becoming meager for children these days and the enduring costs for developing children can be more serious than many of you realize. Parents who hang around and interfere with their children's play contribute highly to the problem. According to Peter Gray, professor emeritus at Boston College, "It is hard to find groups of children outdoors at all, and, if you do find them, they are likely to be wearing uniforms and following the directions of coaches while their parents dutifully watch and cheer."
Other studies show that mothers limited their own children's outdoor play because of security concerns, a reality reflected in other studies where parents cited child predators, commuter traffic, and bullies as reasons for controlling outdoor play.
Why Let Free Play Live
When children are in charge of their own play, it provides a foundation for their future mental health as older children and adults.
1. It provides children a chance to develop a connection with their own interests.
In free play, children do what they want to do, and the learning and psychological growth that results are by-products, not conscious goals of the activity." As they pick the activities that constitute free play, kids learn to direct themselves and chase their interests in a way that can sustain them through life.
2. Children learn how to use their judgment, resolve problems and follow rules in play.
As children direct their own free play and solve the problems that come up, they must exert control over themselves and must, at times, accept restrictions on their own behavior and follow the rules if they want to be accepted and successful in the game.
3. Children learn to handle their emotions during play.
In free play, children are put under physically and socially challenging circumstances and learns to control the emotions that arise from such. Adults who did not have the chance to get involved with reasonably perplexing emotional conditions during play are a little at risk for feeling restless and dazed by emotion-provoking situations in adult life.
4. It helps children make friends and learn to get along with each other.
Social play is the most usual means of making friends and seeing others as equals. Since play is voluntary and playmates may leave the game in the event they feel uncomfortable, children learn to be mindful of their playmates' needs and work to meet them to keep the play.
5. Play is a spring of joy.
We have come to the assumption that to protect children from danger is to educate them. It is but normal for us to feel worried about their safety but we must not deprive them of the very activity that makes them happiest. As parents we should be ever present in our children's lives, walking them through life.
The Repercussions of Play Loss
A significant increase in anxiety and depression from 1950 to the present day among young adults has become evident. One such evidence showed that five to eight times as many young people recounted clinically noteworthy depression or anxiety than five decades ago.
When parents realize the major role that free play can take in the development of emotionally healthy children and adults, they may wish to reassess the priorities ruling their children's lives. It can be hard to pull your child inside when they want to stay out and play. Yet, understand that this is a crucial time for children to explore and more of themselves with the people their age.
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