Being a Playful parent and guiding Children's play

Dear parents, especially parents with young children, I can imagine that you are tired... Between childcare, housework, meetings, reports, the hectic pace of the city, you feel that you have very little time and energy left and you are looking for solutions that will save you as much time as possible in almost every aspect of your life and not tire you out too much, because you have so many things to catch up on. Am I wrong? Practical recipes, electronic gadgets to help you clean the house, anything that will increase your time may be your favorite right now. And of course, time alone with yourself.

With all this in mind, quiet, calm, enjoyable time for your child to play by themselves may seem perfect. Those precious times when you can take a break from childcare for a short while, maybe sipping your coffee, maybe tying up loose ends... But when you realize how important it is for your child's development and for strengthening the bond between you, you may want to be involved in the times when your child plays alone.

Play is a child's language and toys are their words. Guided play is a joyful experience shared between adults and children, where adults provide scaffolding to support areas of development and enhance learning. Playful parents get involved in their children's games and enjoy sharing, building, learning together.

It can also be defined as a semi-structured, interactive type of play. While independent and unstructured play is critical for early childhood development, children can learn more effectively when they benefit from the responsive and compassionate support, knowledge and experience of adults.

During their earliest play experiences, children develop a sense of love and attachment to the adults they are with; they learn to build a common language and their awareness increases. Early play interactions are a skill that supports positive learning and constructive relationships throughout life. Therefore, it is of great importance that the relationship between parent and child is built through play.

The playful interactions you establish while playing with your child provide a rich and solid foundation for their development that cannot be recreated or changed by any other life experience. Parent-led play respects children's freedom, discovery, preferences and authenticity while fostering a love of learning and encouraging the child to participate. As it is an interactive type of play, children can reflect their own wishes and thoughts as well as guide their parents' choices. It gives children the chance to test their ideas, plan more creative activities and create games for two with different materials. Remember, play is not without purpose. Play helps children to explore and understand the world. With parental support and guidance, this exploration and learning is strengthened.

In a modern world that is changing, transforming and becoming a prisoner of technology, the need to play is more important than ever. Because children are now more dependent on screens, their healthy development is at stake. It is the duty of parents, then teachers and of course society to do something about it.

There are many ways to participate in your children's games, or even to build and improve them.

First, think about this: if you were a child, what would keep you busy, how would you enjoy it, what materials would you be happier with around you, what games would you like to play with your parents?