This article
is kindly provided by Ruth Liew.
Many parents today know very well that children's play fosters
their physical social, emotional, cognitive and language
development. Yet, they do not give their full support. They tend to
worry that children are not learning when they are playing. They
regard play as mere fun and believe that children only learn the
important things when they participate in formal lessons. Some
parents' compromise by allowing their children to play only what is
deemed 'educational'.
Children need to play in a spontaneous and unstructured way.
They can take on various roles and try out different ways of doing
things. There is no specific rule set in children's play. If rules
are part of the play, they are set by the children themselves. In
other words, adults cannot tell children what to do in play and
control the learning outcomes when they allow children to play
freely.
Child professionals such as doctors, counselors, psychologists
and teachers are becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of
free play in the lives of our children today. Primary school-age
children have hectic classroom schedules before and after school.
Young toddlers' daily lives are packed with stimulating educational
lessons. Parents are rushing to enroll their infants to baby genius
schools.
When asked what fun is, most children give a similar response:
watching television and playing computer games are their
favourites. Children are not creating anything using their own
ideas in play. I have observed many preschoolers playing themes
from the latest Disney movie or action-packed cartoon series. They
become super-heroes or kung-fu stars.
When children are exposed to harmful gender, racial or cultural
stereotyping from the media, they tend to imitate these role-models
in their pretend play. Their minds are limited to the images which
they have picked up. They need to be free of biases and prejudices,
so that they can try out diverse roles in their pretend-play.
Children gain positive learning experiences from pretend-play
with themes that are family-related or school related. When they
pretend to be Superman or Kim Possible, their play is predictable
and restricted. For some children, their pretend-play can become
violent and aggressive.
Without play in children's lives, there is no childhood left for
them. Play is the child's right. In play, children can explore and
discover things in life beyond what adults can teach them. When
they play, they begin to understand themselves and other people in
their lives better. They develop a sense of belonging and are able
to do problem-solving. I believe that play nourishes the mind, body
and soul of the child.
Parents must start trusting their instincts to do what is right
by their child. There is a time for formal learning and doing the
academics in the child's life. This will have to come when children
are ready to so. They need time to develop their confidence and
coping skills. If the opportunity to play during the early years is
replaced by formal and structured learning, children may never be
able to recover this ability to do what comes naturally to
them.
Parents need to make time for free play with children. The
younger the child, the more the attention needed for spontaneous
play. Let your child play without constant interruptions and
directions. If he wants to know something, he will ask for help. It
should be his time to know what to do. Take a supporting role.
When choosing toys for your child, make sure they are safe and
child-friendly. These days, parents fall into the trap of getting
high-tech toys for children that only require them to push a button
or respond to the toy. For children to use their imagination, they
need to make and dismantle the toy. Provide children with more
open-ended materials that encourage creativity.
Cut down on television-viewing time. Better still, do not let
young children watch television for more than half an hour a day.
According to American Pediatrics Association, children under two
years old are not advised to spend long periods of time watching
television. They need real life experiences and real people to
teach them things.
Parents should always be their first teachers. We should give
them positive role-models to imitate them in play. They can take
the right ideas about the world from us. We must not let Barney or
Sesame Street's Big Bird replace us in such an important task.
Get involved in your child's play. When you take a supporting
role, you can also provide the language for your child to use. When
he asks you to be his customer and make an order, you can say, "You
want me to patronize your restaurant. I will be most happy to try
out your yummy food. Tell me what is on the menu."
You can also help them to expand their play by providing ample
and suitable props. If they like to do buying and selling, you can
collect all the recycled grocery boxes and tins to set up shop.
You can show that you value play when you take an interest in
your child's play. If you are not interrupting, you can ask a few
questions to find out what she is doing. Children like the idea of
parents seeking answers from them. This role-reversal can greatly
boost their self-esteem and encourage their learning.
Create playful experiences for your children without spending
too much money or preparations. Sometimes all it takes to make a
successful play experience is for a parent and a child to exchange
ideas and have a good laugh while interacting with each other.
This article is kindly provided by Ruth Liew.