Driving home, you ask your kids what happened at school today. Your son mumbles, “Nothing,” in his casual, ‘I-dare-you-to-ask-for-more-information’ kind of way. Before you can follow up, your daughter chimes in, “I hate Maddie. She told Sarah she thinks my hair is ugly, and now Sarah won’t let me sit with them at lunch. They’re not my friends anymore. I hate them both.”
Every child reacts differently to news that a new baby is coming. Some children will be very excited and can’t wait for the baby to come. Other children may be hurt or worried that you’ll no longer have time for them - although they might not be able to tell you that. Your older child may be just learning to share. When a new baby arrives, your older child must learn to share the most important thing to them: your love and attention.
“Should I intervene, or let them work it out?” This is the question every parent contemplates when kids argue with each other. Two opinions prevail: “Yes, intervene! It’s worse when they are left to work it out themselves,” or “No, they will never learn to get along with others if an adult manages their squabbles.” In truth, most parents respond far less consistently during an argument, staying out of it until they just can’t take the fighting anymore, then swooping in to strong-arm the situation into resolution.
Play is instinctual and universal. We all engage in play, across all cultures, and all ages. In fact, there seems to be a biological imperative to play, even across the animal world. Mammals that exhibit the most playful behavior are more creative problem-solvers in comparison to animals that are less playful.
There is a strong and growing movement in Calgary recognizing play as integral to our quality of life. The City of Calgary, along with like-minded partner organizations, like TELUS Spark, are recognizing play as critical to creating an active, vibrant and healthy city. The focus on ‘play’ as it contributes to the healthy development of children is becoming imperative to the way many organizations operate. So why are we focusing on bringing free play back?
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