Playing with your children, the best Christmas gift: seven reasons why children need to play with their parents

Family games are one of those memories that always accompany us throughout our lives. Why will it be different for our children?

The expert psychologist in education, Alicia Banderas Sierra, explains some benefits that children can play with their parents, because there are many.

So now that Christmas holidays are coming and Santa and the Magi will be loaded with gifts, why don't we try to spend more time with them enjoying a board game, disguising ourselves or letting ourselves be carried away by their imagination that "It reaches infinity and beyond." Of course, knowing How should we choose their toys to get it right?

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1. It helps them acquire knowledge

The game is not only entertainment, but also a preparation for real life. It is part of their learning and encourages them to acquire new skills, such as developing their psychomotor skills.

With him they learn affections and develop the ability to interact with people. It is one of the ways in which parents get together with our children in their early stages of life, so playing with us is vital for their development.

2. It serves as an experimental laboratory

With the symbolic game they rehearse situations in which they will later develop in life.

It helps them remember what they learned through the repetition game and helps them improve behaviors in situations where they will later have to function, in a real scenario.

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Children simulate imaginary situations playing superheroes, shopkeepers, scientists ... It serves as an experimental laboratory, they prepare for life in a safe environment.

While they play what they want to be, they interpret other roles and practice skills that help them develop their own abilities.

3. Develop your creativity

Not only to develop their innate imagination, so that they become the next Dalí, but to learn to look for alternatives to possible problems.

The game offers them a great possibility to work with their problems: with the dolls, for example, they reproduce situations that have been able to live in the nursery school: "Why don't you let me play?"asks one doll to another:"Because I like you"replies the other.

If we are playing with our son, our doll can make him understand that there may be other reasons why they have not played with him in school: "Because I lowered the last one, because it was a game of four and I had to wait for one to finish ...".

In this way, thinking alternatives are favored, so that they do not have a unique point of view that can harm them.

4. It gives them freedom

Most children today are loaded with extracurricular activities. Although they are good for their training and development, it is good to balance with free games, which are not sequenced, planned.

Parents are tempted to overstimulate them so that they are intelligent and we forget that they need to play a lot.

And if they play outdoors, the better.

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5. Reconcile family and work life

Sometimes parents feel guilty because we work hard and do not spend the time we would like with our children, and we fall into the mistake of giving them toys and giving them whims to compensate for our 'guilt'.

But it is not good. The best way to 'compensate' for our lack of time with them is to give them quality time through the game.

In addition, there is no reason to always use toys. In fact, they will enjoy even more if we use materials that we have at home to create and then, in addition, we play with them.

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Children have to understand that they cannot have everything, they must learn to get frustrated in a healthy way, with small details during the game.

It is good that we can surprise them as part of their personal growth and, they will learn to surprise us many more times.

6. Learn values

Through play it is the best way for them to learn those values ​​that parents want to instill in them: such as empathy, solidarity, companionship ...

While they enjoy playing, we are educating them and they assume them naturally.

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7. It helps them to communicate

When they are very young they cannot verbalize what they feel and express it by playing. For example, if we see that it makes its dolls fight, we can take the opportunity to ask the child what happens to the toy so that it behaves like this. Because maybe he is angry at something, or has had a problem at school, or is upset with his brother ...

And the game is a good way to discover cases of bullying.

When they are a little older, we can take advantage of board games, strategy, so that they learn to find different points of view. With nine years, for example, they are more vehement in defending their ideas, more bluntly, and have a harder time understanding other opinions.

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It is also useful to find a time in your teens to go out to family for dinner or entertain with a board game. It is very positive to have them close and meet them in another way, in a relaxed, relaxed atmosphere, where they often tell anecdotes of their lives, opinions ...

Mind you: show them that time with them is exclusive, that you focus on that moment.

Try not to interrupt the game to take a selfie and hang it, because it may seem that sharing on social networks is more important for you than enjoying your company.

Keys to choose your toys

Alicia Banderas tells us that to get it right we have that:

  • Look through the eyes of the child, thinking what toy can enhance their skills without being carried away by fashion.

  • Ask us: "What would my son do with this toy?", "Will you like it or leave it cornered in two minutes?"

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  • Be a versatile toy that offers several ways to play so you don't get bored with it.

  • Let him let his imagination fly.

  • Be appropriate for your age; that is, respect the age forks so as not to burn stages early and spoil their innocence.

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  • Don't overload them with a multitude of gifts. The expert bets on "give the child at home a gift he has asked for, another practical, a book and a room, that will surprise him", because the Magi will leave more toys in the trees of uncles and grandparents, and they can meet so many, that they will not enjoy any and end up cornering them.
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Photos | iStock

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