Amongst all the stressors and busyness of today’s life, the importance of play can easily go unnoticed. When we think of the importance of family play, we may mainly think of the benefits that it has for the development of children. But playing together as a family is not only important for the development of the child. It holds numerous benefits even for parents, as well as for the quality of relationships that are fostered within the family. This blog explores the value of Family Play; that is, moments where family members play together.
Play can take the form of a variety of activities. This could vary from board games, sports activities, cooking together, imaginative play, but could also include a number of other activities that are fun, light, and engaging of the different family members.
To start off, I wished to ask one little question: What would you like your children to remember about family life once they fly the nest as adults? While family life is typically not only made up of light and simple times, many parents might still wish their children to carry with them a pleasant experience of having grown up within their family. When parents make time to play with their children, it delivers a very meaningful message to the child. This is that the child is worth the parents’ time (Ginsburg, 2007). This sense of being valuable, and of being part of the ‘family team’ can be transferred to the child through family play, and can leave the child with a pleasant outlook on family life and relationships. Naturally, I do not mean that parents need to play with their children all the time; children benefit from playing by themselves, or with other children as well. Nonetheless, the point is that there are special benefits to family relationships when the family plays together.
Rebecca Cassar is a Family Therapist practicing the Systemic Approach. She specializes in offering therapy to families, couples and individuals who are experiencing distress in their relationships. She can be contacted on rebecca@willingness.com.mt or call us on 79291817.