If you’re like the average human, most of your time will be spent working or making others happy. It’s hard for us to truly prioritise ourselves amongst all our responsibilities and to choose to do something JUST PURELY FOR FUN.

But consider this:

“Play is the single most significant factor in determining our success & happiness.”

Yep. You read that right. But isn’t play for kids? Do we adults really need play?

Why We Should Make Time for Play

Many of us think that playing is just for children – something we do when we are young and have more time. The importance of play falls away when we become adults. But should that be the case? Does play really make us happy, successful human beings?

Commenting on the importance of play, writer Julie Scharper states, “Play might just be the most important act we can engage in. Depression, anxiety, and irritability are all symptoms of a lack of play.”

So, while we may have many responsibilities with family, work, and so on, making time to play – to enjoy ourselves and have fun – is so important for our emotional and mental well-being.

Giving ourselves time to play has some incredible benefits, including:

· Boosting creativity and problem-solving skills: Play allows us to explore new ideas, experiment, and develop creative thinking.

· Reducing stress and improving mental well-being: Engaging in playful activities triggers the release of endorphins, which helps relieve stress and improves mood.

· Enhancing social skills: Play, especially in groups, encourages communication, cooperation, and empathy, which are vital for building strong relationships.

· Improving physical health: Active play promotes physical fitness, increases energy levels, and contributes to overall health.

· Strengthening emotional resilience: Play helps people express emotions, build confidence, and develop coping mechanisms for challenges.

What Children Teach Us About Play

We all need to remember to connect with our sense of play & fun.

Children and animals are much more tuned into this, which is why we can learn from them. We need to be open-minded to what they can teach us even while we are in teaching mode. Learning keeps our brain young, we grow old when we stop being willing to learn.

You’ll notice, too, that children relieve stress when they play. They may act out different real-life scenarios in the playground, or at home while playing with their toys. Children tend to release energy when playing, making them feel more relaxed and content.

But in many cultures, children play less and work more. Studying more. Stressing more about school, grades, and doing well in extra-curricular activities.

The question is this:

If play is important for adults, then why would we want to take it away from our developing children?

Allow Your Child to Learn the Fun Way

I have seen many parents struggling with their children because their expectations are too unreasonable. The parents are (unconsciously) dumping all their stress on their child and then wondering why the child won’t cooperate.

But get this:

“You can learn a lot more with a spirit of wonder and enjoyment than you can with an attitude of criticism" - Gay Hendricks.

This quote was written about adults. So it is even more important that we apply it to the young, developing brains of children.

Dr. Becky Kennedy, often referred to as the millennial parenting whisperer, discusses the importance of parents focusing on their own emotional regulation and leadership skills rather than solely trying to "fix" their children's behaviours. She emphasises the need for parents to understand resilience and tolerance of difficult situations, teaching them to intervene effectively by modelling healthy responses. Kennedy highlights the long-term impact of parental actions on a child's development, advocating for a shift in perspective from seeking convenience to embracing opportunities for growth and resilience building within family dynamics.

Accept Differences and Focus on the Positive

We may not understand why our children do something, but it doesn’t mean the way they think or react is "wrong". If we could learn to accept our differences, it would be a gift to our children as they would grow up learning acceptance of themselves. As a child, I always knew I was different. But it took me until my 30s to accept my unique gifts of empathy, intuition and, more recently, an assessment of ADHD.

Our culture likes to pin labels on people. This doesn't actually help them cope with their issues. Instead, it makes it worse. If we can learn to accept our own unique gifts and remember I Am Enough, then our children will learn to recognise and accept their own unique gifts, too.

I am grateful ❤️ to www.thetappingsolution.com @nickortner @jessicaortner @karenortner @alexortner who have helped me so much to learn firstly to accept my emotions and then to accept my unique gifts.