Life has become so busy, so rushed, so pressured. We leap out of bed in the mornings, chasing procrastinating children from bed to breakfast table to car, to beat the bumper to bumper traffic on the school run and make it to the office on time. The afternoon run is no different as we rush to fetch the kids from school, get them to their extra-murals, cram in their homework before dinner, and hustle them back to bed to make sure they get their 8 hours. We’re left exhausted with no time to do the things that give us joy, aid our personal growth and restore our spirits. Now look at the sleeping mini-versions of yourself and realise they too are suffering the effects of restricted time for what enriches them – play!
There has been so much written and researched about the importance of play for the development of a child, and we as parents are aware of this, yet the challenges of daily schedules see us sacrificing play time for other work, which we deem as vital for our children to grow up to be successful in the world. But as Dr Maria Montessori said, “play IS the work of the child.” Children learn through play how to function in the world. They assign roles, make decisions, build confidence and resilience. Education Specialist for UNICEF South Africa, André Villiers writes in his blog, Play is not a Four Letter Word, that “our children need to be ready for the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century and play brings together essential skills through quality learning that will support success in the early years, classroom and future world of work.” In fact, play is so important it has been recognised by the United Nations and adopted in the Convention on the Rights of Children that it is the right of the child “to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child…”
In conversation this past week with a parent of a Grade 4 boy, the topic came up of schoolwork and the pressures this generation of schoolchildren are facing. Her son and his classmate were both demonstrating the effects of homework stress: the friend had given up and lost interest in trying to cope with the work load, and instead let his projects and homework slide; while her son had gone to the opposite extreme – becoming increasingly diligent, ordered, and pedantic about taking control of his work which trickled into his overall behaviour, becoming meticulous about being neat and punctual.
It’s up to us as parents ensure a healthy balance between work and play in our children’s daily routines. There is no hard and fast rule about how much is enough, but some parenting sources offer guidelines that provide for 30 minutes of adult-led activity and 60 minutes of unstructured play daily, though time frames should be adjusted to suit individual child’s abilities and interests.
What are some the benefits of play?
Improved Social Skills
When children are involved in unstructured play, whether it is one other friend, or in a group, they have to learn how to interact in order to make their games work. They must communicate with each other, consider each other’s feelings, negotiate rules of play, assign roes and plan their moves.
Strengthened Family Bonds
Spending time with your child doesn’t mean sitting next to them while they watch a movie and you browse on your phone. When parents put aside everything else and give their undivided attention to their child, a magical thing happens. Relationships improve, communication deepens, and bonds strengthen.
Enhanced Emotional Stability
Tired and overworked children who have little time for free play run the risk of feeling stress. Free play allows children to develop their own interests, find what they enjoy doing, and stimulate their minds and imaginations. They learn their own strengths and weaknesses, and work through questions about themselves and their environment through role play play
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