Parshall Partners

THE WORK OF CHILDHOOD

         Fred Rogers, of Mr. Roger’s Neighbor, once said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.  But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”  A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics resoundingly confirms what he believed.

         The AAP has published a report stressing the importance of play in child development and urging parents to play with their children every day.  Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor in the psychology department at Temple university and one of the report’s lead authors said, "I think we're continuously learning that play is really essential for kids — it's not just an afterthought or an accessory." 

         The report went to so far as to suggest that pediatricians should offer a prescription for play to new parents, advising moms and dads to make time for playtime, and suggesting schools do the same.

         Dr. Michael Yogman, a Harvard Medical School pediatrician who led the drafting of the report stated, “This may seem old-fashioned, but there are skills to be learned when kids aren’t told what to do. Whether it’s rough-and-tumble physical play, outdoor play or social or pretend play, kids derive important lessons from the chance to make things up as they go.”

         The report declared, “Play is not frivolous. It nurtures children’s ingenuity, cooperation and problem-solving skills — all of which are critical for a 21st-century workforce. It lays the neural groundwork that helps us “pursue goals and ignore distractions.”

         The report went on to say, "Collaboration, negotiation, conflict resolution, self-advocacy, decision-making, a sense of agency, creativity, leadership, and increased physical activity are just some of the skills and benefits children gain through play." The authors of the report note that science suggests play also leads to brain changes at the molecular and cellular levels.

         Dr. Yogman also said, "Play is really brain-building, and we tried to give examples of how play enhances the structure and function of the brain."

         (The report underscores the need to play with our children way before they start school.  "This evolution begins in the first three months of life, when parents (both mothers and fathers) interact reciprocally with their infants by reading their nonverbal cues in a responsive, contingent manner. Caregiver–infant interaction is the earliest form of play, known as attunement, but it is quickly followed by other activities that also involve the taking of turns," the report's authors write.)

         Don’t worry about running to the store to by a toy chest full of news things.  The report says the stuff you've already got around the house—wooden spoons, blocks, balls, puzzles, crayons and cardboard boxes—is enough to enhance playtime.

         I always love it when science affirms truths that are self-evident.  The great Scottish poet, Robert Louis Stevenson, wrote a poem called The Good Play.  He penned these words:

We built a ship upon the stairs
All made of the back-bedroom chairs,
And filled it full of sofa pillows
To go a-sailing on the billows.

We took a saw and several nails,
And water in the nursery pails;
And Tom said, “Let us also take
An apple and a slice of cake;”—
Which was enough for Tom and me
To go a-sailing on, till tea.

         You don’t need the AAP to tell you to play with your child.  Your heart should already be telling you that.  So, turn off your devices, get on the floor with your child – and have a great time.  You are building more than their brains, you are creating eternal bonds.

That’s my opinion.  I’m Janet Parshall.