There comes a time in the day when perhaps you just need to get a few things done, but your child is following you around at the heels. When you ask them to go play for a little while, they don’t quite know what to do. Why does this happen? Since parents often teach their children how to play with their toys correctly, the children view the parents as experts on playtime. They need us to play with them, or else they don’t know what exactly they are supposed to do. Humans learn best when they discover for themselves, and children learn through play. When we interrupt our children’s playtime to show them how it’s done, we take away their curiosity and joy for learning on their own. Here are a few tips from the best daycare Greenville NC has to offer to encourage your child to play independently:
Children tend to play more deeply when they are immersed for longer periods of time without interruption. When a child is playing deeply, they are fully engaged in the activity and have ultimately lost themselves in play. Playing deeply is refreshing to the brain. They can play with other children or by themselves, but we must respect this time to allow them to pretend, explore, and learn.
While some children eagerly jump into playtime, others may need some help getting started rather than just being told to “Go play!” Take a few minutes to sit by your child and watch as they play, giving them your full attention. Comment here and there to let them know you are paying attention, encouraging their excitement. Your admiration will help your child feel as if they are doing everything just right. If they aren’t quite sure how to get started, ask them to show you how to use a toy or how they do something. Let them take the lead rather than telling them how to do it. After a few minutes, gradually extract yourself. When you come back, hover around for a few minutes, and then extract yourself again. Once they become fully immersed in play, they will not need you to come back again.
Children are not able to play deeply when they are interrupted. Try not to interrupt your child when they are playing. Treat it as a time in which the child is learning important things, and make sure your family is aware as well. This keeps them occupied when you need to get things done, and they will be learning how to play deeply and independently.
At Children’s World Learning Center, the best daycare Greenville NC knows and loves, we know that the early years of life matter because early experiences affect the brain. As a child’s brain grows, the quality of the experiences that a child has creates either a sturdy or fragile foundation for all of the development and behaviors that follow. Parents want to make educated choices for their families, and getting things right the first time is better than trying to fix them later. Contact us today!
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