This post on ‘Kids Learn Through Play’ has been inspired by reading this very thought provoking article: Give Childhood Back to Children. It’s all about how children should be allowed to play, as that’s what facilitates their learning far more than algebra, homework and exams.
I’ve been having a bit of a struggle lately with the amount of screen time our kids have been having and what’s ‘ok’ and what’s ‘too much’. The thing is, our kids are sent home from school with strict instructions to go on-line and do Mathletics and the school’s Managed Learning Environment (MLE) on a daily basis. The kids have also discovered Minecraft, Scratch and games on the Wii, which my husband is all for. Now add that to meal times, school and all the other things one ‘has to do’, suddenly there’s not a lot of time left in the day is there? Now I’m feeling like they’re growing up faster than I can provide for them and that I’m failing miserably at providing all these wonderful experiences and activities that are out there.
I was brought up in a little village where I lived in wellies, scrubbed around in horse muck, caught minnows in streams and did chalk trails round the village on my roller skates. We didn’t have a television, so we just had to amuse ourselves. Am I better for it? I don’t know to tell you the truth but I do know that I’m very good at finding fun things to do and amusing myself.
I think parenting must be one of the hardest things to discuss because we all (quite rightly) do what we think is best. One thing I have learnt at the grand old age of 44, is that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. It’s a dreadful saying but I’m taking it in the way that it’s intended.
I had grand ideas on parenting before I had kids and now that I have them, all I’m aware of is how little I’m offering them on the life experiences front. I only know a slice of what there is in this world and yet in between working, doing boring domestic chores, ordering birthday presents from Amazon and hiding my head in the fridge to eat chocolate in secret, I’m showing them SO much less of life than I’d hoped to. Mummy guilt – we all suffer from it I know.
I have a theory – that we ‘have’ our children until they’re 12 and then they enter a different world – a world more within themselves, that we may or may not be party to. So I would love our kids to be as ‘life-proofed’ as possible by then. We all need so many skills and some of us learn them far too young and some of us never really get to grips with some things. So what’s important and what is it that we want to teach our kids and have them experience? How much influence do we have over what they’re exposed to later in life? What should be try and teach them now?’ What values would we like them to have, or at least to have contemplated? What would we like them to have felt or touched or seen? How are we going to get towards achieving this?
I do think it’s at least worth thinking about.
My personal top priorities for our kids is that they don’t feel pressurised into things and can say ‘no’. I would also like them to be curious and ask questions. Lots of questions. And laugh. Oh and be able to agree to disagree… actually, there are so many things I would love for our kids to master. Right now – I totally agree with the premise that kids just need to play. A lot. Kids learn through play and self-directed repetition: decision making, social skills, motor skills, consequences, handling their emotions, creativity, teamwork, dispute management, problem solving, pride…the list goes on.
I’ve decided that I’m going to protect some one to one with the kids every day, even if it’s just for ten minutes. Other than that, I’m going to encourage more unsupervised play and only step in if there’s blood.
I do believe that out of true boredom come wonderful achievements and interests. We need to learn to amuse ourselves and not rely on others for our entertainment and happiness and that is the one thing I am actually very good at.
I will however now feel guilty for not providing quality unsupervised play.
Because that’s how it is, isn’t it?
You may also like to see other Parenting including:
When You Have Different Views On Safety
Hidden treasures In The Playground
For Kids Who Hate Maths
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I agree 100% that they learn so much from playing, especially in the early years, its also good for us as parents to stop being the adult and enjoy some play time 🙂
That’s so true and something I need to do more of!!!
Fab, interesting theory-I agree I want my kids to feel emotional safe and secure but inquisitive and stimulated and not fearful! Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts
Great post. I love seeing what my kids come up with together and the little imaginary worlds that they create, as it’s important for them to do that, and they simply enjoy it. Whether they line up chairs for their bus ride, build dens, or brum their cars around, it’s the best kind of play. My two also love arts and crafts, but to be honest, I do supervise those as I don’t handle glitter all over the kitchen well!
Aaaargh no, I’m no good with glitter either and it always ends up in the cat. Yes totally agree. The kids were all fighting over a bath towel earlier. One wanted to play hairdressers with it, one wanted to make a den and the other wanted to be a king and have it as his robe…
Totally agree, as an ex-teacher I truly believe we push children too quickly into the academic, without allowing them to nuture the social and imaginative that comes from play. Children learn so much through play and those experiences.
#BrilliantBlogposts
Yes totally and in some countries children don’t start school until they’re 7! They still ‘catch up’ just fine with the reading and writing etc. Their little brains are like flexible sponges. I see them all starting in reception and think they just look so small and vulnerable. I think it’s all about a good balance though and whatever the system is, there will be failures. At least at home we can offer them lots of love and play. Thank you so much for commenting! #brilliantblogposts
I read somewhere (actually, I know where I read it from, it was in Sheryl Sandberg’s book) that mums today spend many many more hours in supervised play with their kids than mums in the 1970’s. I know I played often on my own or with other kids outside, without parents looking over our shoulders, and I don’t really see kids do that much anymore. Maybe the unsupervised outdoor play is replaced by indoor supervised play and gaming. Shame I guess, as there are lovely memories to be made playing outdoors 🙂
I have a toddler, and we do try to give her as much space to do what she wants to do and come up with her own entertainment.. Indoors and outdoors, supervised if course but without interference from us. I think it will help her get innovative when she is older as she gets to try new things on her own 🙂 #brilliantblogposts
Yes you’re absolutely right, I totally agree with you. I think we’re all more safety conscious nowadays too I think?! It’s definitely about getting the balance right isn’t it? Thank you so much for popping in and commenting!