A new poll has revealed that 30% of parents surveyed find playing with their children boring. 21% even said they’d “forgotten how to play with their children” according to the poll. Even worse? Their kids know it. About 16% of their kids could sense their parents restlessness and 55% of the children polled wanted more quality time with their parents.
The poll, commissioned by Disneyland Paris, surveyed 2,000 UK parents and 2,000 children ages 5 through 15. Parents blamed work and chores for the lack of time and energy left to spend having fun with their kids. Sibling rivalry was also painted as a chief issue with trying to play with their kids.
Any busy, tired parent can understand the moments when play time seems more like a chore than a joy. Actually, any busy, tired adult can sympathize, munchkins at home or not. But, just a little positive attention from a parent can go a long way for our children, so finding a way to make play time fun for you, and for your kids, is an important goal.
Think of it as the world’s cheapest workout plan. Setting aside a half hour a day for some kind of active play with your kids is a great way to make sure the whole family gets the exercise they need and your kids get the time with you they crave. Especially if you sit at a computer all day long a game of tag in the backyard, or hide and seek in the house while you’re cooking dinner, or even a long walk around the neighborhood, may help you feel more alert and give you more energy for the rest of your evening.
