Comments on: Play

By: Stacy (mama-om)

Stacy (mama-om) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:27:05 +0000

I spend a lot of time watching my kids play (and NOT directing it). Kids say a lot in their play -- it is how they work out what's on their mind, and I am so grateful for the chance to see my sons' minds at work.

Have you heard of the book Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen? He encourages parents to "play" with their kids but emphasizes the difference between directing or controlling the play and taking a listening/playful stance and really entering your child's world. (He is a child therapist.)

Thanks for this post on a important topic, and thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting!

By: Tina

Tina — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:37:26 +0000

absolutely! i’ve held this belief for a very long time…and i’ve always thumbed my nose at academic preschools when i was teaching preschool and went for the play/creativity based programs…and then once i had kids, we didn’t do preschool at all! since i knew i’d be homeschooling, and i stay home with them, there’s been no reason for me to even look into preschool! especially since playgroups and playdates were a part of our lives since my oldest was born!

i’m of the mindset, even now that my oldest is 8 and a half, that play is still THE most important thing for her to be experiencing in her life! in fact, i came up with what i thought was a really interesting theory: http://tinasrealm.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-if.html
the “what if” is what if we live stressful lives because that’s how we learned to live our lives starting in childhood?

its a thought.

i’ve often dreamed of having “Play Days” here locally, which i read about somewhere on the internet…kind of like the “new games” of the 70s…remember those? cooperative games, LOTS of fun!! ALL ages!

yes, play is super important, i’m with ya there! i will encourage my kids to continue playing and we’ll miss out on errands and such if they are involved in some wonderful play project because its that important, i think.

By: Lori Landau

Lori Landau — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:26:06 +0000

I felt compelled to comment: we ALL need to be discussing this subject more, and spreading the word. We are over busy, and so are our kids. We all need to get back to basics, to tuning inside, rather than looking outside for happiness, and allowing kids to be kids rather than mini adults.

By: Mark Brady

Mark Brady — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:29:00 +0000

All the brain research I’ve studied confirms Brown’s claims. One central problem, Mary Jo, is that if the parents aren’t practiced at playing, i.e. the play circuits on the right sides of their brains aren’t wired up well, play just isn’t fun! For parents OR children. These folks mostly WORK at play. It’s like the Catch 22 that Wavy Gravy rants about (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/773530.Wavy_Gravy):“If you don’t have a sense of humor, life’s just not funny.”

By: turnitupmom

turnitupmom — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:17:00 +0000

Melissa, your book recommendation is awesome! I am totally getting it! My husband teaches high school math and is going to use that line, “Einstein Never Used Flash Cards.”

By: Melissa Taylor

Melissa Taylor — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:33:00 +0000

I totally agree. Have you read the book Einstein Never Used Flash Cards for their research on play based preschools vs. academic preschools? It was so helpful to reinforce my beliefs in play. I loved the author’s characterization of our culture’s “cult of achievement” with our own kids. Scary, isn’t it!

I love your thoughtful blog!
Melissa

By: Stacie

Stacie — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:19:00 +0000

I am sooo with you on this one! Our youngest just turned 2 and his favorite toys were the the simplest–a peg board and a wooden stacking toy. Let’s get back to the basics as parents and let our kids teach us how to play.

And thanks for the book recommendation–I look forward to checking it out.