Busy schedules can make everyone in a family feel overbooked, overworked, and overwhelmed. Research shows too much stress, intense studying, and overwhelming schedules are destructive. It puts dangerous pressure on families and damages their relationships. You must find time to play for your health and the health of your children. Here are a few mindful strategies to get your family playing.
“What we know is that play literally changes the development of our children’s brains,” said Dr. Kathleen Hall, internationally recognized stress and work/life balance expert. “When you play, you create the roots of health, happiness, and balance in each member of your family.”
Play teachers children coping skills, leadership skills, perseverance, camaraderie and cognitive thinking. And they’re not the only ones who benefit. Scheduling family play time gives everyone in a break from life’s stresses.
5 Winning Strategies to Get Your Family Playing
- Schedule play in your day. It is your responsibility to schedule play time with you and your family every day for at least 30 minutes. If it’s part of your routine, everyone can look forward to a break from the day’s stress.
- Make a favorite spot. Gather all of your family’s favorite games in one place. That way, everyone will know play is part of your family routine.
- Change the playing field. Playing games at POGO.com, MSN games, and other online destinations, you can connect your entire family. From Scrabble and Monopoly to arcade and puzzle games, there are virtually hundreds of ways to turn screen time into family fun.
- Focus on fun. Dancing and/or singing while cooking dinner or playing restaurant are creative ways to keep fun in the kitchen. The memories you make with food will live in the hearts of your children and keep them playing long after they are grown.
- Keep them laughing. Laughing teaches children to not take themselves or life too seriously. Slipping a funny joke or playful note into your child’s lunch or partner’s briefcase encourages laughter throughout the day. Laughing is one of the greatest stress reducers on earth.