Roughhousing With Kids! Great Article

[MA-Caver]

I was thrilled when I read this... this is what parents need to do with their kids... if they weren't so damned busy with their careers and their own little lives to attend to (which included having the 2.5 kids per household-- of course nothing about raising them).
From my association with my friends who are parents and watching their kids, some just wild as you can get (likely to be diagnosed with HADD or some other b.s. acronym) they're just being kids, tons of energy, lots of imagination and just wanting to bust it all out. *nudge* which is another reason why MA is such a good activity for kids.

Sunday, June 5, 2011
Why roughhousing is good for kids—and their parents


Forget about letting the kids run around unsupervised; we don't even let them jump on the beds anymore. Between helicopter parents who hover, Tiger Moms who are obsessed with academic success, and curling parents who sweep a perfectly clear path for their kids to follow, we're so worried about keeping our kids safe that we end up limiting their activity levels along with their independence.

But a little horsing around could do kids a world of good, two experts suggest—and they encourage parents to roughhouse right along with their children.

"Play looks a lot different than it did 30 years ago," says Dr. Anthony DeBenedet, who co-wrote "The Art of Roughhousing: Good, Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It" with Lawrence J. Cohen, PhD. "I think it's time for us to kind of cut the strings a little bit. Let kids go—and play with them."

"We want to get a throwback to the good stuff," he adds. "The good stuff is play. And the holy grail is roughhousing."
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/summer...g-is-good-for-kids-and-their-parents-2491746/

This portion was well said.

Still, kids can get carried away, and it's up to parents to draw the line between roughhousing and aggression. "Stop for any injury, even if it's imaginary," DeBenedet advises. "What's really happening is that kids are opening up, expressing their feelings even with just an imaginary injury. That's a great time for Mom and Dad to stop and reassure them, hold them, cuddle them, and put on Band Aids even if they're not bleeding."

Way I see it... good way to assert parental authority when the kid gets carried away or gets aggressive and strikes hard instead of playfully slap or punch. Yet of course the parent(s) must be cautious too understanding the limits of a child's body and knowing how greenstick fractures can occur. But beyond that... kids will love it and in the evening... wow, look at how fast they fell asleep when they went to bed (finally!). Wear 'em out, burn off that sugar high from breakfast and the afternoon lunch soda or kool-aid. But be with them... it might help get rid of a few unwanted pounds in the process too.

 

[sfs982000]

I was thrilled when I read this... this is what parents need to do with their kids... if they weren't so damned busy with their careers and their own little lives to attend to (which included having the 2.5 kids per household-- of course nothing about raising them).
From my association with my friends who are parents and watching their kids, some just wild as you can get (likely to be diagnosed with HADD or some other b.s. acronym) they're just being kids, tons of energy, lots of imagination and just wanting to bust it all out. *nudge* which is another reason why MA is such a good activity for kids.


This portion was well said.

Way I see it... good way to assert parental authority when the kid gets carried away or gets aggressive and strikes hard instead of playfully slap or punch. Yet of course the parent(s) must be cautious too understanding the limits of a child's body and knowing how greenstick fractures can occur. But beyond that... kids will love it and in the evening... wow, look at how fast they fell asleep when they went to bed (finally!). Wear 'em out, burn off that sugar high from breakfast and the afternoon lunch soda or kool-aid. But be with them... it might help get rid of a few unwanted pounds in the process too.

Even though it drives my wife nuts, I really treasure the roughhousing time I take with my boys. I'm just glad that they still want to hang around their old man cause I know before too long it won't be cool and the time they'll want to spend with me will be limited.

 

[fangjian]

My 6 yr old daughter and 3 yr old son grapple with me, pretty much every night before they go to bed. We play for about 15 mins. They are both ridiculously strong now, and their strength and endurance level is way beyond their peers. They also learn how to roughhouse safely and with control. Lots of fun.

 

[MA-Caver]

Even though it drives my wife nuts, I really treasure the roughhousing time I take with my boys. I'm just glad that they still want to hang around their old man cause I know before too long it won't be cool and the time they'll want to spend with me will be limited.

Don't sell yourself short... they'll remember what a fun guy you are but if you stop playing with them... doing cool stuff with them... because "whew, getting too old for this" or you're the one limiting yourself then... yeah... they'll find someone else to hang out with... but either way... they'll remember and love ya for it.
Keep in shape best as you can so that day you dread won't come any sooner than necessary.

 

[Scott T]

I grew up that way. My sister grew up that way. It'll be good enough for my kids too.

 

[sfs982000]

Don't sell yourself short... they'll remember what a fun guy you are but if you stop playing with them... doing cool stuff with them... because "whew, getting too old for this" or you're the one limiting yourself then... yeah... they'll find someone else to hang out with... but either way... they'll remember and love ya for it.
Keep in shape best as you can so that day you dread won't come any sooner than necessary.

That's what I'm hoping for. I do a ton with my boys and I'm hoping that they'll keep it up with their kids and so on. The roughhousing definitely keeps me in shape with 8 year old twin boys pounding on you. The energy those two have is ridiculous, if I could bottle it and sell it I'd be rich LOL.

 

[Blade96]

Roughousing is good for anyone...kids and pets, too. We did it with the 3 little kittens of my bro's cat when they were young.