A child’s play is a very important part of the children. Children want parents to be involved in their play. There must be a concerted effort on the part of the parents to set aside time to play with their child/children. Some parents need to start to learn how to play with their child though the child’s play may be silly. These are the reasons for the importance of child’s play.
Play is a very important part of a child. When playing, a child’s brain is at work. The brain is progressively influenced by the environment, on what is the child being exposed to or not exposed to which thus has a life impact on them. Parents whom play regularly with child can impart their family values and influence the behavior and attitudes of a child.
Note that children are born primed to learn. You will see this very distinctively when observing their imitation and learning process in their early years. At this time, their mind is like empty memory cache, whatever is feed to them it will be stored into their memory. When my daughter is one month old, we play the game of imitation. I stick out my tongue in front of her and she will follow suit. As baby, their learning process is mainly through parents or caretakers.
Parents should instinctively strive to provide the stimulation children need. When they are baby, toys or parents themselves (voice or movement) are the attraction and the stimulants for them.
Play is not serious. It should be fun tool for learning. It should be fun for parents and children when engaging in play. Simple play can be swinging a toddler left and right like a swing. Examples are: Stacking up blocks of wooden bricks together or traditional peek-a -boo.
Playing contributes to the children’s emotional, physical and intellectual development. It is through playing that the child learns to communicate, count and solve problems. How does the child learn their first few words? It is through play.
Playing with peers, siblings, parents and other adults teaches the child to learn to get along with others and to respect the rules and boundaries. This is especially important for social development.
Play also provides an invaluable window to the child’s personality. By observing how he plays, you can learn how he reacts to obstacles, victory and failures.
Manner of playing will provide parents with insights of child’s emotions, aptitudes and preferred learning styles. Responding to instructions through visual images, hands-on and boldness to try something unknown can be checked. Parents at this time will be able to use words of encouragement and praises to motivate the child. Always use positive words.
Playing with child is also bonding. The eagerness of a child to involve you in their play is very obvious when they are younger. Parents need spent time focus on playing with child instead of trying to multitask on mundane chores. Children detect parent’s willingness and enthusiasm easily, so do not create negativity or no response to their request. Bonding through play needs consistent efforts. The results of such be a special closeness that you will find strengthen between both as they grow.
Thus, play is a very essential and important part of a child’s life. Playing helps the child to develop emotionally, mentally, physically and also creates bonding between parents and child. It is through play that a child’s aptitude and personality can be fully explored. Through play, social skill is also developed to help him to be aware of other people whom are around his life and learn how to respect others.
