Vinluan: Kid’s Play

Today’s column entitled “Kid‘s Play” is all about this summer. As school vacation for kids comes into view, parents do worry of what activities their children can do this summer vacation other than going to the beach to cool themselves off from the summer heat or a vacation in Boracay or elsewhere, which can be refreshing and relaxing. Or should parents just leave their kids to play in the streets?

In their search for summer activities offered by organizations and schools from literary, musical, to sports, which are worthwhile activities for kids to indulge in, parents are now starting to canvass for activities which their children can fit in, not minding the extra monitary outlay they have to shoulder for their kids.

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This is because at their young age, children are restless and exuding with energy. They always look for activities, in need of security and a sense of belongingness, recognition, adventure and achievement. Hence, the need to channel their activities into a worthwhile endeavor is needed. Parents usually select the most appropriate activity, but often they select the activity because they want it for their child.

This way of choosing sometimes fails, because it does not fit the interest of the kid and causes problems of disinterest, like attendance or the value of learning from the summer activity.

In other words, parents must know what activities the child would be interested in.

Of course minus the computer games, kids must have other learning interests during vacation time. Parents in their selection must consider what attributes the activity has which can generate learning and development for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, and social development.

Parents should know what particular activities the child is interested in to be able to select the activity suited for the child.

In their selection of the activity the parents should consider how suitable the activity is. They must know how interested the kid in a particular activity to enable the kid to be independent in his selection and decision, making his participation a hundred percent in a certain activity where the kid starts to value and learn discipline, cooperation, team work, sportsmanship, fair play etc.

Giving the child a bit of independence as a learning process will benefit both parent and child. It is here where the child will be able to develop leadership potentials, skills, self awareness and responsibility appreciating values and learning to grow according to the tenets of freedom and democratic living with an end result of preparing them to being responsible citizens.

In finality, selection of activities this summer for your kids is an understanding between parent and child. It is in this way that we can help our kids be more independent in discovering their potentials.