My children are gorgeous!
I don't think that anyone in the world thinks they are as wonderful as my husband and I do.
My friend has a child who thinks that her little girl is the cleverest, funniest, cutest in the world.
Every parent loves their child. Every parent wants the best for their child. All parents go out of their way to provide for their child
We all know what the ideal parent should be, but in reality it's not that easy.
Pressures at work, lack of sleep, lack of time, lack of energy, demands from other family members, the pressures of the new South Africa, financial restraints and more, all play their role.
What can we do as parents to provide a stimulating environment despite these limits?
Let's look at play and how we can play effectively with our children.
What is play?
Doing things for the fun of it. It has to be fun because that is when your child will be learning best.
It's the work of early childhood - in order to learn later in life, your child needs to learn to play in earlier life.
Play is a sensory experience- the senses are stimulated through play activities.
Play is learning. It is through play that children have the opportunity to exercise many brain functions while developing the refining skills that promote social, behavioural and academic success.
The truly successful, satisfying element in play is the one that you as parents can offer best. That is love.
Let your child know that you love him, play with love.
Play develops the intellect, social skills, emotional expression and physical skills
The intellect
Play promotes the ability to organise thoughts, to concentrate, to reason, and to plan. It teaches your child to solve problems and make decisions. It gives the freedom to practice things learnt and observed and it encourages creativity and imagination.
Social skills
Play can help your child to learn about relationships and social roles, how to take turns, co-operation, sharing, communication and to follow rules.
It encourages independence and responsibility. Social experiences from a young age can provide your child with valuable input.
Apart from the social skills he learns, think of all the different voices he hears, the different visual images he receives, the sounds around him and the touch that is perhaps different from yours.
If you are able to, take your baby on outings with you to visit friends or family, to the zoo, shopping, to a farm.
Your toddler may enjoy the toddler workshops or other regular social get togethers. Moms could form their own social groups and get together on a weekly basis.
Before you send your two year old to a playgroup, separation anxiety could be made easier by leaving your toddler for short periods with a familiar adult.
Another option is to form a nanny group with three or four friends. Take turns to have the nannies and their respective toddlers for a morning of social fun.
In this way your child is left with someone he is familiar with , in a small social group. Not only is it helpful for your child, it may also be motivating and fun for the nannies.
Emotional expression
Play can help to develop a healthy self image. It provides ways to express and release feelings and tension.
It can help a child to cope with fears and anxiety.
Physical skills
Physical play promotes the development and control of muscles. It is the basis of perceptual learning and the foundation for academic learning.
Did you know that balance develops an awareness of left and right? Learning about where the body is in space and fitting into or through spaces - over, under, next to, prepares the child for two dimensional tasks such as writing.
How will your child understand that the letter b' goes down and up and around if he doesn't know what down, up and around feels like on a physical level?
Games that enhance the awareness of sensation will help your toddler grow into a child who is comfortable with his body and his ability to move and a child who is comfortable with touch.