Good Parenting: The Importance Of Play

Five young friends running outdoors smilingI have spent the past few months writing a course for PDR resources, a nonprofit educational corporation that provides health care professionals with accredited continuing education credits.

Ever since I read the book “The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee” by Wendy Mogel, I have been interested in the topic of building resilience in kids. There are many articles on this website that can attest to that. So it was a no brainer for me to write this new course.

There is one aspect of Resilience that I have not written much about because it seems to obvious, and that is the importance of play. But, unfortunately, kids are not playing as much as they used to and it shows.

According to Mulligan (2012, pp. 34-41):

“It could be argued that active play is so central to child development that it should be included in the very definition of childhood. Play offers more than cherished memories of growing up; it allows children to develop creativity and imagination while developing physical, cognitive, and emotional strengths. …..Play is a natural tool that children can and should use to build their resilience. At its core, the development of resilience is about learning to overcome challenges and adversity….children learn to deal with social challenges and navigate peer relationships on the playground. In addition, even small children use imaginative play and fantasy to take on their fears and create or explore a world they can master. Play allows them to create fantasy heroes that conquer their deepest fears. It allows them to practice adult roles, sometimes while playing with other children and sometimes while play-acting with adults. Sensitive adults can observe this play and recognize the fears and fantasies that need to be addressed; however, in many cases, play itself helps children meet their own needs. As they experience mastery of the world they create, children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resilience they need to address future challenges.”

So all I need to add after that is, let’s let our kids play!

What do you think?
Comment below!

References:

Mulligan, D.A., The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bond: Focus on Children in Poverty. PEDIATRICS Vol. 129 No. 1 January 1, 2012 pp. e204 -e213

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