Why Kids Need More Time To Play
Kids have a less time for unsupervised, unstructured play than they did 40-50 years ago. Kids are also a lot less happy then they were back then. But has one actually caused the other? A new study says it has.\nPsychologist Dr. Peter Gray and his associates at Boston College recently published the paper Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in children's mental well-being, which suggests that the decline in play and the decline in children's well-being are directly correlated:\n\u201cOur thesis is that a primary cause of the rise in mental disorders (among children and teens) is a decline over decades in opportunities for children and teens to play, roam and engage in other activities, independent of direct oversight and control by adults.\u201d\nIn this episode we discuss the fascinating research explored in this study, the difference in our freewheeling neighborhood childhoods and our own kids' more curated daily existences, and how letting our children take independent risks\u2014and even get a few bumps and bruises\u2014 is setting them up for a sense of well-being that is all their own.\n\nHere are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: \nThe 1000 Hours Outside Podcast\xa0is new to Adalyst Media!\xa0200 episodes of inspiration on how to reclaim the finite moments of childhood through prioritizing outdoor play.\nour recent Fresh Take with Dr. Camilo Ortiz\nPeter Gray, et. al: "Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children\u2019s Mental Wellbeing," Journal of Pediatrics\nMia Venkat, Kathryn Fox,\xa0Juana Summers for NPR: "How lack of independent play is impacting children's mental health"\n\nWe love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:\nhttps://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/\n\nmom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid\u2019s behavior, teenager, toddler, baby, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices