✨PLAY✨
Our role as parents & caregivers is to be there for security & support when kids go out and experience the world. Repeated exposure to age appropriate risk, social conflict in play including rejection & resolution, curiosity in nature and the way things work are all vital skills to develop in the younger years.
Giving them risky play and age appropriate independence is vital for their development. As tempting as it can be dont’t jump to remove the risk - let them work through it, deal with frustration, build self esteem knowing they can do things for themselves. To fail and recover is a much better life skill than to never try in the first place. This applies at ALL ages and stages.
Get messy and imaginative, go outside, give them space to create their own games and adventures.
The ripple effect of joy, connection, curiosity, movement & creativity will far outweigh the peace and quiet you get from switching on a Screen!! (The mess is a whole other conversation!!!)
✨SOCIAL MEDIA, DEVICES, DECLINE OF PLAY.... AND THE IMPACT ON KIDS MENTAL HEALTH✨
There has never ever been a time when teen mental health issues have been as prevalent as they are currently. Most kids are ok, most are doing fine, but there are plenty of kids that are not doing ok. Could the rise of technology & social disconnect be the underlying influence? The rate of tech progression and offerings is both incredible and worrying in the same breath. Something we can't seem to avoid and incomparable to the advancement of new tech of past generations. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt calls it the great re-wiring of childhood: since 2015... 70-80% of teens have a smart phone & are active on social media AKA the experience blockers. The use of which contributes to less sleep, less time with friends/family, less attention span for books, and less motivation for other hobbies. (As adults can attest to).
We think phones, social media and gaming are the problem... However it's what those things are replacing that is contributing to the complete transformation of kids daily lives, impacting their sense of self & place in society. Lifestyle changes include reduced play, limited free time, impacted attention spans, no tolerance for boredom or space for imaginative thinking and reduced real life social interaction.
What is human childhood: developing movement patterns, absorbing cultural & environmental experiences, play(lots of play), building social skills, forming the wiring & blueprint for how we experience our self & the world around us.
Age 0-4 : huge brain growth & change with environmental sensations impacting physical growth & movement patterns. An essential time for free play - this natural instinct of curiosity and movement wires up the frontal cortex & it is now known that screens change that wiring.
Age 5 - puberty: the brain becomes very social, children build a greater understanding of what's going on around them. Creativity is high, independence is forming and frontal cortex is still evolving(until 25). The brain also starts pruning what movement patterns & brain pathways are not used or necessary anymore & if you don't use it you lose it.
Puberty onwards: brain is re-wiring even faster. Social influence is huge & we evolve our critical thinking and underlying moral code. The brain is susceptible to social conditioning & influence more than familial influence. Developing more mature processing, executive functions, pushing the boundaries with actions & consequence. At this key age kids are getting to know themself as far as dislikes, desires & needs.
Add in a device : the human childhood experience at all ages becomes far from what is expected & essential in these growing years. The usual play based childhood experiences become disconnected, sedentary & primed for addiction.
If we are forming a sense of self in our teen years, the question all parents should be asking is what is moulding that sense of self??
Social psychologist @jonathanhaidt suggest parents should supervise less in the real world & more in the virtual world... In the real world offering age appropriate independence, encouraging risk taking, give space to build their physical skills & social networks. Their virtual world can very quickly become the world that takes their time, attention & real life experiences away from them. It needs guidance, monitoring, education & awareness.
Haidt's recommendations for parents are:
1. no smart phone until high school.
2. no social media until 16.
3. phone free schools - giving full attention to teachers and a break from social media.
4. more independence, free play and responsibility in the real world.
Our kids get one childhood, we need to reduce their screen based experiences and increase their real world experiences. I will be doing what I can to actively support families, schools and kids to experience to the best version of childhood possible.
Tell your kids to stay adventurous, stay curious, stay safe online but explore the real world.
And from a Chiropractic perspective - Movement wires the brain - so let the kids play!!
Dr Lisa Malherbe (CHIROPRACTOR)