Nagham Nassar - How Important is Playing ?

Every time i get a patient with speech delay, parents are often shocked with the questions i ask at initial assessment. 

How many hours do you spend playing with your child ? How much quality time do you spend together ? Do you explain to them often what you're doing, like when you're making coffee or a salad or any more complicated task ?

We're all familiar with the the saying : A kid's brain is like a sponge, it absorbs everything and anything that happens around. Everything children soak in aids in building connections in their brain, and the best way to do that is through TALK ! It's true, we need to continuously speak with our kids, experiment with them and play with them in order to help them develop their vocabulary, creative thinking, attention skills, listening skills, sequencing, social skills and turn taking. During playtime, children widen and enrich their imagination. 

Playing and talking with our kids is as important as preparing them healthy meals or helping them get a good night's sleep. It is crucial for their development because children develop their language after hearing our words and sentences. Time after time they start adding to their vocabulary bank and eventually start using words they have understood.

Children are born wired to learn languages. From birth, they build language and literacy skills through play and interaction. Babies and toddlers learn new words when adults describe what they see, hear and do. Also, play delivers emotional and behavioural benefits for kids. In fact, daily play can help reduce anxiety, stress and irritability. It also helps boost joy and self-esteem. Through play kids explore how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to solve conflicts and to speak up for themselves. 

So, every chance you get, play with your kids, experiment with them and enjoy your time together. We are all going through rough times but remember : our kids are our responsibility - they are the future and we need to shape them the best we can in the best way possible.

Nagham Nassar
Speech Therapist