Current Thoughts: Forgotten Play
I have three young kids and they love to play. They prefer toys but don’t need them. They enjoy physical play, imaginative play, they like to draw, they like to listen to music. All kids have this innate desire to and enjoyment of play.
Where does that go?
My personal opinion is it that it gets lost once we tell them to sit down and listen for 8 hours a day. Then, they rarely get to see examples of adults play. How often do they get to witness adults play on a playground? Never. They do get to witness adults play on their phones. And adults who don’t know how to play find enjoyment in distraction. Food, alcohol, and entertainment. Then they try to appease children and reward them with the same.
Now, my kids will beg and plead for candy, ice cream, and to watch TV. This isn’t innate. I’ve been to Africa and spent time with kids who don’t have TV, candy, or ice cream. Guess what? They never complain. They just play.
Should kids never eat candy or watch TV. No, that’s unrealistic. They are going to do what adults instruct them to do, allow them to do, and demonstrate for them. Let’s do our best to turn them into adults who are not looking for distraction or have forgotten how to play.
Things I like
| Here’s some encouragement for us to spend our time seeking deeper meaning instead of greater pleasure. |
Things to check out
| We know exercise reduces your risk of cancer. Turns out it reduces your death from cancer as well. Hopefully doctors will begin to prescribe it. |
Have a great week!
David
