The more I read, the more shocking it is to me how our culture ignores solid research based evidence and instead embraces media and corporate influence.
I realize that the cards are stacked against us. The corporate machine has developed an all-pervasive influence and the unsuspecting parent can feel powerless against it. The research, however, is very clear. Our children need limited (or no) screen time and increase unstructured play time. All of them. Even the big kids and the "good" kids.
Creative play builds creative minds, but the outside influences can stifle it. The only remedy is to consistently enforce an environment where unstructured play occupies the largest proportion of time (except maybe sleep). This can be a huge energy shift, but I think, it maybe harder for parents than children. It will require that parents interact with their kids much more than in a media babysitting model. Quickly, however, the kiddos will learn to play with out you and you will have to play alone.
Keep in mind, as well, that most school programs do not support play. Creative thinking plays a limited role in an environment filled with requirements and testing. Unstructured after school play time is vitally important and provides a much better "reset" after classes are over than the traditional hour of TV before dinner. As we prepare for back-to-school, keep this in mind and I challenge you to go TV free during the school week. I promise you'll notice a positive difference!
No comments:
Post a Comment