The Importance of Enjoying Your Kids

Parents of children with learning disabilities sometimes tend to get stuck in Superparent Mode, always checking progress charts and monitoring academic studies. However, it’s also important (for children and parents alike!) to also make time to laugh, be silly, play, pretend, and show affection for one another.

At a fundamental level, spending time and showing affection for your child makes them feel valued. This builds the confidence needed to face academic and social problems with a sense of strength and resilience - something that is 100% necessary when trying to overcome learning challenges. For the parents, you also get to take a break from being the taskmaster and enjoy the reciprocal affection that you child gives to you.

Play is also crucial to brain development. During play, your child gets to practice social roles without the high stakes of real-life interactions. In this way, they learn how to stand up for themselves, solve problems, and resolve conflicts. Even the most fantastical pretending games can model good social and reasoning skills.

Last but not least, play can function as a form of therapy! Children with learning disabilities face even more stress and anxiety than most children, so it’s important to let off a bit of steam with play. And if the play involves physical activity, it can help release even more anxiety.

Being a good taskmaster and architect of your child’s academic pursuits is always important - but it is also important to “let your hair down,” relax, and make time to simply enjoy your kids. It’s good for the brain, good for the body, and just plain good for the soul.