The importance of play: Even for adults!
Taking time to play is important, even for adults. Don't hesitate to take some time off to be a kid again!
Admit it. We're all jealous of our kids' summer vacation. As a matter of fact, most of us mature responsible adults wish we had two months off with no deadlines, no pressure to stay alert during boring meetings, and no reason to get up at 5:30 a.m. to rush to the gym before catching the early train to work.
In this case, your kids have the right approach. Hey, maybe you can even learn something from them. Take a break from being the parent for a day and be a kid again!
Get up late
Eat Cotton Candy
Blow bubbles
Send a Slinky down the stairs
Play jacks
Jump rope
Eat a sloppy drippy ice-cream cone
Play hopscotch
Nag your kids. Tell them you're bored, there's nothing good to eat, and no one to play with.
Skip the make-up and the curling iron
Try to solve a Rubik's Cube
Eat something really junky. I've been eyeing that new pizza surrounded by mini hotdogs.
Draw a chalk mural on the sidewalk
Build with Legos
Forget the shave and leave the stubble
Get a pad of art paper, some crayons, markers and color. Don't worry about how it looks, just enjoy.
Make a birdhouse out of Popsicle sticks
Put yourself first - not someone else
Mold with Play Doh
Buy some comic books, a Mad magazine, or a trashy novel
Whine to your friends about how your kids don't understand you. Hey, you're even old enough to add a glass of wine to your whining session.
And don't think you'll be wasting your valuable time. Play is serious business.
Since about 1955, the amount of time children have for free play has been steadily declining. During this same time, the incidence of adolescent depression, anxiety, and suicide has increased dramatically, according to researcher Peter Gray, PhD, a professor of psychology at Boston College.
And the same is true for their parents. Just turn on the TV and see all the commercials for drugs that promise to make us happy.
If parents don't know how to play, how can they teach their children?
It's time we learned.
More and more research suggests that healthy playtime leads to healthy adulthood, and the need for playtime doesn't end when we grow up.
Adults need "recess," too, according to Stuart Brown, MD, the Director of the National Institute for Play. "Play is something done for its own sake. It's voluntary, it's pleasurable, it offers a sense of engagement, and it takes you out of time."
The act of play is more important than the end result. So don't worry if your drawing isn't a masterpiece or your Play Doh bear looks more like a lopsided snowman. Just get lost in the experience. But please don't eat the Play Doh.
Whatever you choose, don't feel guilty. Remember, you're doing important work! Happy, healthy happy parents mean happy healthy kids.
So go out and play!
Need some help learning how to play?
The National Institute for Play
World of Psychology blog: The Importance of Play for Adults
OpenIDEO: Kids – teach your adults how to play!
Helpguide.org: The Benefits of Play for Adults
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