The role of play
About This Episode
Parenting is a hard, but it doesn’t always have to be. We’ve got to relax a little and play, just like James Breakwell's family does as they prepare for the zombie apocalypse. Tune in to The Struggle is Real, to get tips straight from James on how to survive the apocalypse so you can continue having fun with your kids.
Featuring
Additional Info
RECAP
Play has proven to be very beneficial for a child’s emotional, cognitive, physical and social development. There are many studies out there that have published those fascinating findings. But in addition to all those benefits, play offers parents the ideal opportunity to engage fully with their children in a world so defined by hurriedness. Children play very well alone but when parents join in, the children perceive that their parents are fully paying attention, opening up naturally the lines of communication between the two. Even less verbal children show a glimpse of their perspective that let parents better understand who they are and what they are thinking. So in essence, playing also helps you hold on to your children.
Children don’t need fancy, stimulating toys to play well and to get all the benefits of play. This week let their imagination run wild by doing the exercises listed in This Week's Action.
CONVERSATION
What are some rules that you enforce with your kids that you didn't have growing up? What are the reasons behind your rules?
THIS WEEK'S ACTION
- Encourage your children to play away from electronics in order to decompress and to be creative on their own.
- Allow your children to play with messy things or make science experiments. You can manage your anxiety by laying out towels in the area where kids are playing or setting a messy station outside.
- Join in when your children are playing once in a while without trying to set up your own structure or bring control to the game.
TOOLS
The following tools can help you along the way.
Why You Should Let Your Kids Play In The Dirt
The Struggle is Real podcast is based off the book, The Struggle is Real: Parenting in the 21st Century written by Dr. Alicia La Hoz & Dr. Paul Meier.
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