Play is so critical to childhood development that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child declares every child has the right to rest, leisure, and play.
Through play, children learn critical skills that are difficult if not impossible to learn any other way. They learn to interact with their environment as well as experiment in a safe space. Children who participate in play tend to be more intelligent, more socially adept and even more physically coordinated.
These children are also better communicators and negotiators. That could go either way for you dear parent, we know. But it’s a skill they need for life regardless.
Playtime is a time for you to get to know your children. You get to see the world through their eyes and bond deeply with them. Through playtime, you learn their habits and can begin to see their personalities emerge. You see how they react when things are not going their way, and you see how they go about solving problems. Many parents are surprised and delighted when they start to spend more time in play with their children. It can be a very rewarding experience.
You can learn more about the benefits of play for children and parents in detail in this post.
The most difficult part of playtime is making time for playtime. Here are a few tips for busy parents to help:
While it is great to spend hours and hours with your young children at a time, it is not easy for busy parents. The good news is that when it comes to playtime, it is more about quality than quantity. So the first tip is to stop looking for huge chunks of time to play with your child. Accept that you can bond deeply and reap a lot of the benefits of playtime for just a few consistent minutes a day.
We all have them… those pockets of time between the big events of our day like work, commuting, and bedtime. For many parents this is usually early to late evenings. It may vary based on your family schedule, but with a little intention, you can probably find some regular times that can be converted to playtime. Evenings are especially favourable as it tends to be a more relaxed time in most homes.
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According to some sources, parents spend up to 9 hours a day on social media. That’s a lot! You might not spend that much time, or you might spend more. We get it, it can feel like an easy way to decompress after a hard day at work. But even if you just spend a fraction of that time playing with your child, it would make a huge difference. As a bonus, you would also be role-modelling the responsible use of technology for your developing child. Win-win.
Child-led play can be very powerful. In fact, letting your child lead in play has been described as the most potent form of play in terms of developmental benefits.
However, not only does it help with developmental skills for the child, it also takes the pressure off you, the busy parent, for coming up with activities. You can just ask the child “what would you like to do?” and then you do it! Together!
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Playtime should not feel like a job! Once you reframe it as fun, you can reconnect with your inner child again and thoroughly enjoy yourself while playing and bonding with your child. When you truly engage and have fun, the minutes will fly by and you might be surprised by how energized you feel by the process. Not to mention the inherent reward of spending quality time with someone who means so much to you.
Congratulations for putting in the work, not only to invest your dollars, but also your time in your precious child. If you are looking for a daycare that will perfectly complement the hard work you are putting in at home—with high-quality curriculum, a positive environment, and highly skilled care—reach out to us here at Quiverfull. Skip the long waitlists and get your child enrolled today!
Reference: United Nations, Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31, 1989. Retrieved from ohchr.org.
