A campaign has
begun in the United Kingdom fronted by Cypriot-Canadian psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos.
The Make Time 2 Play campaign is highlighting the need for children to engage
in old-style, general play activities like hide and seek, tag and impromptu
games and sports.
Many children,
often as young as five or six shy away from organized activity and sport. One
of the factors that this is attributed to is that it is entirely possible for
children that young to have a negative body image and not be confident in
themselves. This in part comes from the focus of society on celebrity, beauty
and unhealthy competition.
If a child is
unhappy about themselves, the way they look or the way they feel then sending
them to an organized sports event such as soccer practice or hockey can illicit
tempers and tantrums. Dr Papadopoulos theorizes that traditional games and play
activity can help children get away from negative thoughts about themselves and
help them realize that their body serves a purpose rather than simply being a
function of aesthetic value. And once this correct idea of the body is formed
they are far more willing to go to their first Calgary hockey camp.
Every accomplished
sports person knows that their body needs to be trained to achieve their goals.
They often spend hours in the gym and practicing their sport to get to and
maintain their high levels of success. While a muscle-based physique can be
appealing beauty is not the reason that these players work out. For them their
body is a functional tool allowing them to achieve within their sport. For
children this realization can be a big help in fighting body image concerns. Not
only is the child getting an active work out from traditional play such as tag,
building forts and rough housing but they come to realize that their body
exists to let them do something, not to please other people with how they look.
By playing traditional games, playing outside in parks and play grounds
children get the joy of seeing how fast they can run, how far they can jump and
how high they can climb. When they achieve a new personal best it helps them
see that their body is a tool that lets them have an engaging and fun time, all
while being active.
The run on effect
of this is that once the child realizes what their own body is for they can
become more at ease with themselves. The worries of another child being faster,
stronger or thinner fade away and the child becomes happier within themselves.
They see that their own happiness is dependent on what they do themselves and
their own personal enjoyment is based on their own achievements, not how they
are viewed by others.
If your child
objects to going to a hockey camp, or a weekend with the scouts then all you
may need to do is give them time to play in a natural environment where they
set their own goals and determine their own outcomes. Many adults will have
memories of their parents standing at the door and telling them they’re not
allowed inside unless it’s to get a glass of water, that they should be playing
outside and enjoying the great outdoors. Dr. Papadopoulos thinks that the natural
play of children should be encouraged, that the games these children’s parents
and grandparents played are of great value and that it will lead to far more
sporting activity and happiness in their own skin in the long term.
