 |
|
Potter
Little ones experience sharing and playing cooperatively
|
Children’s Play Dates Are Value To Parents,
Too
By Rosemary Lee Potter, Ed.D.
Special to Tropical Breeze
When the new mom is feeling stronger and is staying home with her
newborn, it seems that both she and the tiny youngster might
benefit from some short expeditions abroad, outside the routine of
their home. Given a well child, the mom certainly needs brief
outings, a break from same-same, without much adult interaction. It
turns out such “mini-trips abroad” hold striking
benefits for baby too.
Nothing particularly strenuous such doings
away from home, but just a few hours away with their child, spent
in social recreation — often, called a play date.
Even if the
mom has older children, some in school or pre-school, even another
at the toddler stage, the play date has some particular merit.
It’s where usually two moms arrange at least every other week
to bring their brood together for some play, some interaction and
some food. It also is confirmation for mothers that they are doing
fine with their baby and its care.
Two young mothers brought babies
and toddlers to visit at my school during our teachers’ lunch
hour. They were having a play date. Both parents and children
received attention and enthusiastic, supportive conversation, and
friendly smiles, the children some extra holding, hugging, and
eating together. One mom told me that she and her friend have a
play date every other week—that is, they usually go over to
the other one’s house with their children. Their little ones
get experience in sharing others’ toys and playing with
others. In eating together, they begin a joyous, age-old human
social connection.
Learning to share and playing cooperatively
gives very small children a boost in socialization they might not
begin until school years. Play dates are also a
mother/father-supportive experience, as while observing their
children at play, they can confirm a variety of positive parenting
ideas. A play-date experienced mom in Tennessee told me that she
loved play dates frankly as a break from her daily mom-child talk
only.
Play dates last only about two hours. They can take place at
a park, beach, or playground. Going to each other’s houses,
however, seems to be the most common and popular destination.
There’s far less preparation for all in not having to leave
familiar surroundings.
Does it matter if young children experience
other young children? I was walking along the outside patio of a
coffee shop recently and happened between two tables of families,
each of whom had a child about a year old sitting in a highchair.
One little boy was leaning out and waving his hand at the child
across the aisle in the other chair. I overheard the mom of the
waving child say, “He’d like to be sitting at your
table!” The other mom nodded. Children are drawn to children.
They may want this more than we adults really know.
What would a
play date actually look like? It runs for about two hours, which
moms deem quite enough for the young child’s endurance, much
less their own.
Favorite schedule? Between 10 a.m. and noon. When
the visiting mom and her child/children arrive, there is
immediately something to do all together. It might be painting. It
might be a very easy craft project — clay or pasting a
picture on a paper — a take-home idea, the pictures already
prepared, the young pasters choosing one or two to paste on the
paper. The cutout pictures might be of a bright color or animals to
discuss while pasting.
Next there is some free play with a few toys
geared toward sharing. However, very young children are more likely
to engage in parallel play, than to take turns or share play.
Nothing’s wrong with parallel play. A child enjoys sitting by
another child, each engaged with his/her own toy. It depends on the
toy. Children try out toys that are new to them. Moms get a lead on
toy interest for future purchase.
Then lunch, everybody together in
the “picnic.” Moms take turns doing the fixing usually
if at their own house. After lunch it’s time for children to
nap, at home, so it’s bye-bye time. Other play date
activities:
- Story-time where one mom reads an
age-appropriate book, for a few minutes just before lunch.
- Real picnic including rolling balls, cooking hot dogs.
- Sand
or water play inside in a low shallow tray on a plastic sheet on
the kitchen floor. Children reach and try moving boats, cups, cars,
pails or shovels.
- Public library toddler story-time, snacks
before or after.
NOTE: Dads can do all this too.
A mess? Likely.
Parents clean up. So do children. Do things? Clean it up. Older?
Please put shovels in pail, book on the table. Simple
straightening-up. Kids try out paper towels! Never too early to
foster the cleaning-up habit.
How long should play dates continue?
There’s little daytime to schedule them as pre-school begins.
Yet, I remember every other Saturday taking my sons to a science
museum where we met up with another mom and her two sons, lunching
after the children attended junior computer and biology classes. My
boys were four and the other boys were four and six. Their mother,
Bonnie, and I enjoyed our interludes talking over tea while our
young scientists-to-be were in self-chosen classes they considered
play. (The four boys grew up friends and engineers, civil and
computer. The dads became friends, too.)
Play dates for children
encourage socialization, interaction and developmental growth, and
friendship for them and their folks. Parents using this positive
idea prove that your family matters.
© 2006 Rosemary Lee Potter. All Rights Reserved.
Rosemary Lee
Potter, Ed.D., has been a teacher since 1960, including 21 years at
Safety Harbor Middle School, and is now a reading teacher at
Carwise Middle School, Palm Harbor. Contact her at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or by mail in care of Tropical Breeze, P.O.
Box 585, Safety Harbor, FL 34695.
|
Front Page 
Columns 
