Parenting experts have shared their tips and tricks to make playing with kids easier for busy and burnt-out parents.
Parenting burnout is the year's hot topic, with parents across the globe candidly opening up about the exhausting reality of juggling work with family life more than ever before.
It's a refreshing reality but we're still struggling to manage our time and our energy. In fact, 65% of parents struggle to find the time to play with their kids despite the activity being proved to boost a child's development tenfold.
Speaking to The Guardian, Prof Adam Guastella of the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, explained, “Play is really important for the development of social awareness: how we react and respond to others, recognise our own intentions, and how we engage [with] our own emotions."
He adds that play, especially with parents, is vital when it comes to helping children develop both creativity and emotional intelligence, both of which are skills that will help children later in life to engage better with others.
So, as busy parents, how can we foster better play? According to Prof Guastella, "It’s all about ‘incidental’ opportunities.
“Play teaches kids all those wonderful skills and teaches children in a dynamic way [because] it’s in the moment and there’s no rulebook,” he says. “It’s all about ‘incidental’ opportunities. It depends on the time of day, what resources you have around you, and what works for you and your child. Is your child one that really engages in play on a playground or while kicking a football, or somewhere else?”
Parenting coach Genevieve Muir agrees with the laid-back approach, saying that even just '10 minutes' of playtime can be sufficient.
“Investing in 10 minutes of play can actually meet the emotional needs of kids and therefore encourage more independent play,” she said. “Play is considered to be the ‘work of childhood’ – it’s how [children] learn. It’s not our job to always be playing with our kids. Play is their world and their job, but we can help them build skills though joining in the fun for just small pockets.”
You don't have to be creative yourself, Guastella says, which is great news for those days where your brain is fried from work and can't think up a single thought let alone a creative one your kids will be interested in. Instead, he says, your approach to play should be 'child-centred' and revolve around what your kids want to do and how they want to play.
All you need to give them during this time, he explains, is “Emotional guidance, which helps them better regulate and engage their own or others’ emotions.” In doing this, you're helping them foster independence, their problem-solving skills, and helping them to be more creative as they have to come up with ideas to entertain.
In other family news, does your child have a balanced play diet? Research psychologist reveals what this is and why your kid might need one. And, these are the 8 types of play your kid needs to support their development. Plus, "I hate playing with my 4-year-old, am I a bad parent?" Two experts answer all.
