I ran across a post on Does Your Child Really Need Extracurricular Activities? Those sorts of posts always amuse me. Especially people who list exact schedules of when and how ALL parents should run their children's lives. I'm also amazed at how many people are saddling their kids age 2 and up with all kinds of enrichment classes. And from the comments, they seem to feel that it's not just desirable, but necessary for their children. Wow. I'm old-school I guess. I think that it's important, not just desirable, but necessary for children to play and use their imaginations and have adventures. A class or two here and there is fine, there are many great things to be learned, and experiences to be had. So long as they're not at the expense of actually living life. All learning does not take place in a class or classroom setting!
I like this response on the blog:
"My kids need time to be at home, playing with their toys, building things in the basement, getting filthy in the yard, riding their bikes. They both do cub scouts, and swimming. But most days, we are a much happier and less stressed out family if we keep the activities to a minimum.
I really dislike the 'you have to get them started at age 1 or they will never excel and never get into Harvard' argument. Seriously, Harvard is not that big. Even if every suburban mom in creation puts their kids in activities for 4 hours a day from the time they are born, they are not all going to get into Harvard. And truly, a Harvard (or MIT, or name your school) diploma and $2 will get you a bus ride, but it is not a guarantee of success or happiness.
If your kids get crazy if they are not scheduled - then schedule them. But don't overschedule them in order to chase some dream of yours. Posted by BMS February 19, 09 12:37 PM "
Saturday, February 21, 2009
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8 comments:
Whenever I read discussions like this one, I am reminded of my child psych textbook. Play and the way it becomes increasingly more sophisticated as the child grows older is, of course, discussed- the section is called Play: The business of Early Childhood. If that alone is not an indicator of how important play is, I am also reminded of how my professor began this part of the course, he simply stated that play is to children what an occupation is to an adult.
I too agree with that. I child learns so much from his playing. Creating an imaginary friend with your playing helps you to be a good friend, mother, father, and so on.
Take play out of a child's life and that child becomes bored and introverted.
Did Tom have an imaginary friend as a child?
I'll disagree with you slightly thought-I don't think it's lack of play that causes introversion (although forcing a naturally shy child to attend lots of scheduled group activities can make them withdrawl even more! I'll agree with you in that sense.) As a shy person myself, I believe that most shy people are born with a tendancy for being introverted. It can become lesser or greater, but the tendancy is still there.
Shyness and introversion are not caused by a lack of social interaction and/or play, nor are they "cured" by increasing the amount of social interaction and/or play. Temperment (introversion is a temperment) is biological and set at birth. Scientists involved in the human genome project have identified a gene for shyness (which we both obcviously have).
Just to be clear,I didn't mean to imply that it can be cured. Or that you would necesarily want to. But I believe it can be improved upon or made worse. I am not as shy as I used to be. For multiple reasons. But people who tried to force me to be outgoing generally caused me to retract even further into myself.
Glad you managed to pull yourself out of yourself.
Um, ok.
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