UK NEWS

PUSHY PARENTS BAD FOR CHILDREN

Organised: Children prefer 'free' time

Tuesday October 28,2008

By Sarah O’Grady

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PUSHY parents who pack their children’s days with activities undermine their young ones’ independence, self-confidence and imagination, the latest research indicates.

The youngsters are better off playing in the garden, building dens or making up games and dance routines with their friends, experts said.

However, over-anxious mothers and fathers are ignoring the benefits of spontaneous play and enrolling their offspring in structured entertainment like ballet classes, swimming lessons and sport sessions.

This “over-scheduling” of children can lead to bad behaviour, family experts warn today.

Child behavioural specialist Kris Murrin said: “Parents shouldn’t worry about organising their children’s time but instead give them the space and permission to create their own fun.

“Free, unstructured play – such as creating pretend games – allows children to explore the world around them and teaches them to express themselves, developing key skills for adulthood such as decision-making skills and self-confidence.

“Kids have fertile imaginations which should be developed in these formative years to help build the social skills essential for later life.’’

Almost three-quarters of parents always plan play and entertainment activities and half feel concerned if their child is not occupied with a structured activity.

Yet mothers and fathers admit these entertainment-based activities often leave children hyperactive (37 per cent), with two-thirds of children having trouble calming down and going to bed afterwards.

Parents also report a difference in children’s behaviour following participation in different types of play.

Four in ten report that free play noticeably develops their child’s confidence while a further third find their child is more focused and better behaved.

However, the average child is forced to attend at least two after-school classes a week, the study by Persil’s Every Child Has The Right To Be A Child campaign. This is despite more than half saying they prefer to have the time to create their own play, which also leaves them feeling better rewarded and confident.

Frank Furedi, Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent and author of Paranoid Parenting, called on parents to have confidence in their own parenting skills and ignore pressure to do certain things from other parents, family experts and policymakers to do what’s best for their child.

He said: “Today’s parenting culture de-skills mothers and fathers. It places enormous pressures on parents to turn away from what only they can do.

‘’The good news is that, if parents understand the pressures that bear down upon them, they can insulate themselves from it.

They may still be anxious about their children’s well-being, but at least it will be possible to put those fears into a more balanced perspective.’’

Kids have fertile imaginations which should be developed

Kris Murrin

SPORTS - DRUGS

28.10.08, 7:51pm

Too much of anything isn't good... apparently, an old forgotten saying. Moderation will keep sports and other recreation in its place... but to keep drugs away in public schools is becoming more difficult annually,

• Posted by: TerrifiedCitizen • Report Comment

THIS IS THE FIRST BIT OF....

28.10.08, 11:50am

...common sense I have heard for ages. All this taking the children to Clubs, keeping them entertained in the holidays, making sure they don't get bored, playing games when travelling does not do children any good at all.
Children have to be children, pretend, make tents out of sheets, make dens in a corner of the garden, they have to learn to amuse themselves. With TV and game consuls they have forgotton how to do this

• Posted by: Disgruntled • Report Comment