Playing With Children

Categories Children
By: Jacinta F. Rini
Jakarta, January 11, 2012

Childhood is the period where they learn about the world through play. Playing a means as well as a bridge between what is in the realm of fantasy with what they (can) they realize. Children do not see the game as a "play" as parents or adults see play is something that is not real. Children are smaller consider playing is a reality as well as adults to work, go to school, clean the house, etc.. Playing is a world where they are and give meaning to everything they encounter in the game.

In the game, children can learn to recognize what they can do yourself and which ones need to help parents. Children learn to measure ability and measuring challenges. In fact, according to research conducted Lewis (2000), children aged 1-6 years to learn to develop problem solving skills of the play, because play presents a variety of contexts and situations should they hadapai on the spot. Through play, children find creative ways and unique in addressing the problem.

Actually, if summarized, there are many benefits of play for children, in addition to those already mentioned above. A study conducted over a period of many years found that when small children (ages 4 years old) love playing blocks or lego, when the school showed higher math skills.

Problem In Playing

Today, the play becomes less meaningful and less benefits, and even too much loss. What is wrong with this play? 1. No clear objective We often see children who play just for killing time, spend time, either because of lack of activity or waiting parent, driver or pick. The problem is, your favorite game is the game for killing time or the like are available in the mobile phone or smartphone, ipad, etc.. Some are good, but more destructive, like bloody games, at-blow, shooting, which makes players satisfied when it can kill as the only solution and receive the greatest rewards.

In the Journal of Adolescence 27 (2004) 5-22 contains the results of the research impact of video games on adolescent hostile. As the game is the "most popular" in this century, the game makes adolescents more hostile turns hostile, aggressive and rude, in arguing with the teacher / authority figure and more physical fights and making achievement worse. Phenomenon in Indonesia today, young children of primary school age and even kindergartens already exposed by hostile games through games and TV. With these findings, it can be imagined how it would be the children of our future.

2. Not according to the medium and the needs of children

We see many outstanding games that no matter age category, which sells essential. In fact, the game was hostile to adults. Similarly, TV shows, even though the film Popeye or Mr. Bean even Tom and Jerry, Sponge Bob, Bart Simpson, the films showed a lot of plot, storyline, or events that are not suitable to be consumed young children are in the process of value formation. The films were actually miniature adults, so that eventually the kids really into miniature adults because it mimics a cartoon character on TV who made ​​the style of mind (and his delinquency) adults.

3. There is no engagement or involvement

Often happens, the children were told to play and the game so as not to disturb or bother adults / parents. Some parents are reluctant to play with the children, being busy, or do not connect with the child because of differences in the world who do not (want to) dive.

Baby sitter or ya, not necessarily the type who are willing and able to dive into the world of the child, due in part to consider the main task is to maintain and serve in the literal sense. When the game is done not by the liver, then the play becomes more bland. In the vapidity that is, do not wake sebenanarnya sensitivity and empathy that can be honed through play. As a result children are easily bored and easily frustrated. Conversely, engaging in a game, there will be an open two-way discussion of possible solutions. Playing cars, police-police, fire, cooking-dishes, all of which "ordinary" could be a lively and interesting if the players emotionally engaged and of course, fantasy. Without the involvement of body and soul, expensive games were not necessarily able to bring meaning and terrible impact on the children.

Edward Fisher, a psychologist found a link between playing with the development of language skills. He found that playing role-play, enhance cognitive abilities and socio-linguistic affective child. That's why playing with heart is important to create a lively and enjoyable play.

Constraints Kids To Play

Some of the things that often constrain the child in the play, is the lack of a play area like a field and the grass is now very rare, especially for urban children. Means a game that can be enjoyed and utilized public were hardly available, except to the arcade in the mall and had to pay. In addition to the above issues, there are constraints and substantially more crucial because there are obstacles in front of the eye and occurs almost every day unnoticed by parents. Constraints that can be termed as an inhibitor, namely:

1. Fear of parents

"Look down!", "Do not, just do not be up-up", "watch could slip you know". Many parents voiced expressions while being with their children in public places. The attitude of the overprotective parent, the child and dependent less confident. Anxiety and fear parents read to children as an expression of their distrust of the child's ability to overcome the situation. The mechanism thus, when parents do not believe the child, the child ultimately doubting and questioning their ability. Furthermore, children will limit themselves before they explore the possibility and ability, before they reach their upper limit. This is the source of inferiority and low self-esteem.

2. Value

Values ​​held and believed to affect the child's parents. For example, there are call "boys should not be time-cooking, I'll be gay". While the concept of homo himself out of reach of children's minds are still innocence. "Girls really climb - climb, come on down, you're not a boy." Some parents think it must be hard to educate children and children should be limited as a family tradition. Parents will prevent the exploration of her child and the world and its future.

3. Ego

"Do not play on the beach, summer, later mama so black" or "Watch the show mama alone, more exciting than watching cartoons" or "Play together Ma'am there, Dad was busy ya, this is more important because". Without realizing it, the needs and wishes of parents raced to the needs of children, to be realized. This situation actually sat parent becomes childish, and set the child becomes older because the child which eventually relented after parents.

What will happen?

If left unchecked, the process of learning by doing and experiencing being hampered because of constrained many things. Meanwhile, there are many tasks that must be executed by the development of our children in order to Developing various components is crucial to the growth, maturity and success of their lives in the future. These components are:

• Survival skills, ie the ability to survive and come out as a winner in life, able to control life and not allow themselves to be victims of circumstance.
• The ability of empathy, the ability to understand the situation, feelings, difficulties, limitations and humanity of the other, as it understands itself
• The ability to manage emotions, the ability to process feelings, to have a proper sense of intuition and sharpness
• Adaptability, ability to adapt to the surrounding environment as well as new things
• The ability to grow, the ability to continue to seek and undertake growth, to get out of a sense of comfort (comfort) to find something better.
• Recovery and reconstruction capability, capacity rise from failure, learning from failure and fix errors
• The ability to find the essentials, looking for true virtue, the ability to distinguish, what is primarily and foremost in my life, what is the dream and calls later life.
• The ability to build the value of the infrastructure, the ability to adopt and internalize the noble values ​​that became the foundation of behaving and acting.

Solution Playing With Asik

Until whenever, children will need to play, therefore, presents a challenge to the game and a quality playing time is a challenge for modern parents. Solution to play in modern times is not too difficult to run even though constrained arena and facilities. All of it was number 2, the most important is the involvement of parents (and other caregivers), the relationship between parent and child and the parents or guardians of creativity with children are invited to play. Basically, all creative children, but adults often lose the creativity and power of fantasy and lost interest to play the rhythm of the child. There are some prerequisites to pursue the exciting games and qualified:

• Let go of "Take Image". Keep your distance from the image to enlarge the child so there is no chemistry that makes the atmosphere play into life.
• Remove the idealism and judgment. Idealism and judgment make us tend to judge everything and eventually lost interest to play because everything is measured assessment wear glasses and "what others say"
• Seek.   Many games are cheap and cool can be done if we as adults like working on first. For example, you want to play while doing simple experiments at home, the parent or chaperone need to prepare the ingredients, assisted by the involvement of children in order to wake it from the beginning. Without effort, then the game is cheap and educate will not be realized.
• Move. Many of simple games that can be realized if we are willing to move. The problem nowadays adults tend lazy move, but spend more time on the computer, mobile phone or television or other smartphone.
• Get used to it. Make the play with the child becomes a habit and needs of both parties. Emotional ties will be established automatically when we give ourselves completely as children give themselves completely to "that very moment". Bond is the one who will make the parent-child relationship into an open relationship and mutual respect, mutual understanding and support; parent and child is one team.
  

Some game types solutif

• Creating a simple scientific experiment, with ingredients available at home. Trial games are not only fun but also educational.
• Play   musical instrument equipped kitchen or objects other safe. Make your own music instrument also fun and can be used continuously.
• Play bowling with bottles and balls
• Playing basketball with a bucket and hung a light bulb
• Playing badminton
• Guess the words and puzzles
• Playing roles such as fire, picnic to the zoo, police coast guard, traffic police, little chef, etc.
• Playing lego, chess, snakes and ladders and monopoly and other similar games. We can make your own snakes and ladders or monopoly   with a more interesting challenge.
• Treasure hunting, to draw a map of their own and hid some treasures in the corners of the house .. This game can be played as a group, perfect for a holiday or a party.
• Make cake, which does not require fire and stove, or an adult assisted during baking
• Art and craft with scrap materials, such as tissue box unused, dry leaves, etc.
• Farming in polybag and maintaining plants and pets
• Playing with a magnifying glass to see objects closer
• Jump rope or play traditional games such congklak balls, jacks, etc.
• Playing outdoor swimming, bicycle, roller skates, skate boards, to practice climbing trees (if there is a tree that can be climbed).

Many games can be done, but it all takes effort and willingness, especially from the parents or caregivers. One thing to note also, that basically if parents participate in their children play, parents will also feel the benefits for the body and soul. Playing for adults are also helpful to revive energy, treating stress, foster creativity, hopes and dreams, overcoming loneliness and sadness, as well as improved durability and life pressures. There are many other benefits of play for adults. Therefore, for anyone who still has young children at home, play with the chemistry that exists in order to build positive energy to both parties and to build character of children who are more confident and positive.

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