WORDS: Nicky Obel

Being a parent today is by far the most daunting and the most rewarding job in the world. It’s a responsibility so profound and a task that is so tireless, no eff ort is too big or too small.

The importance of play

We may have read a number of parenting books on this matter, but in a nutshell through play children learn about the world and themselves. Play allows ones’ child to use their creativity while developing imagination, physical, emotional and cognitive strength. Play develops a healthy brain, and assists children from a very early age, to engage and interact on a healthy level with the world around them.

Breaking it down

The word play isn’t just a physical activity. It also involves imaginative, social and cognitive aspects amongst children. This is one of the main ways that your child expresses their impulse to explore, experiment and develop behavioural skills. And the aspects of play are many, from play therapy, early childhood play, free play and valuable play. Play is not only crucial for a child’s development, but it is beneficial to children of all ages by relieving stress, connecting to others on a social level and simply putting a smile on ones’ face. Play can also make school work more productive as well as learning, more fun.

Let’s be real

Although it’s not uncommon for parents to be hard on themselves, this behaviour can be extremely counterproductive. Finding balance in life with your kids and understanding their uniqueness and personality should offer you enough confidence to create balance in your home. Each child is different and who better to understand this than you – the parent. We want our kids to enjoy life, learn new things and experience as much as possible. Due to a competitive society today, children’s pressures far outweigh how we grew up. Whether it be peer, academic or sporting activities, we need to find balance in our kids’ lives and be mindful to not over-schedule and throw unrealistic expectations in their general direction.

Pulling the plug

We can’t deny that technology has become an integral part of all of our lives. Whether at school, video games or utilising social media platforms, everyone relies on technology in one way or another. The trick is to balance out when the time is right to unplug from the noise and spend value one-on-one time with our families. To achieve this, simply create some gadget-free time for everyone. It is up to us as parents to set this example, so you need to stop scrolling and start zoning in on some much-needed offline time.

Getting involved

Everyone is guilty of needing a bit of ‘me’ time and this should never be undervalued. However, if your children are preoccupied with TV, video games, iPads or social media 24/7, you have to find a healthy balance between that well-deserved quiet time as opposed to allowing unhealthy and prolonged screen time. Make sure all family members are included in how to divide time between homework, play, screen time or reading a book, in order to create a fair set of boundaries that everyone can understand and easily follow.

Encouraging activities

Being easily entertained with online games, devices, apps and social media is part and parcel of everyone’s world, but as a parent all is not lost. You can easily encourage your children to seek out and get involved in activities that are not technologically focused. Sure, we played with marbles, playing cards, sticker books, climbed trees and rode bicycles as kids, but times have changed.

Introduce your kids to your favourite old board games or card tricks, buy them paints, canvases or puzzles or go outside and kick a ball around. Even walking your precious pooch or visiting a beach or park together will add valuable family time to every one’s day. And be fun too.

There are a number of activities and ways to create more play time. Yet, there is no hard and fast rule to being the best parent of all time. Try to simply be consistent in your expectations, a fair disciplinarian and flexible in your parenting style – and remember to always have fun with your offspring. Go ahead, you’ve got this.