Childhood Activities Are Not Always Bad

Winter break is here... what will your children be doing? Will they be driving you crazy? Will they be lazy? Will the past promise of completing chores have gone all hazy?

Probably all children will do a minimum of all the above and that is all right, as children are children and they also need to relax.

I was reading an article in the December 2007 issue of First Magazine: were you aware that some activities that can drive parents batty are actually helpful to children?

Some activities they may engage in, during the winter break as well as every day may concern you, but as long as you monitor the time spent on each activity; the activity may not be a complete waste of time.

Child activities that have some surprising positive health benefits- sleeping in

Yes, sleeping in can be a good thing for a child to do on occasion. Extra sleep can actually guard against winter bugs. Research done by the University of Chicago found that by sleeping in for three consecutive mornings augments a body's antibody manufacture, therein a child's immune system receives a boost by almost fifty percent. ... Wow- I had to call my sister right away as she currently resides in Maine and both of her children have the winter crud. Let them sleep I told her!!!! And then artfully explained why.

Child activities that have some surprising positive health benefits- texting is a form of writing after all

Did you become frustrated with all the texting your child does on a daily basis? It can actually be a positive benefit as texting can improve social relations and bonding which in turn can help a child refrain from entering into a depressive funk. In addition, texting can increase the production of the feel good neurotransmitter, serotonin. As long as they are not texting whilst at the dinner table enjoying a family dinner... it is not so bad. Just learn the lingo.

Child activities that have some surprising positive health benefits- Music cures the savage beast

Does your child tune you out with his or her iPod? In some cases, letting a child listen to his or her choice of music can be a good thing. Music can adjust a mood. If your child is feeling cranky and is acting a bit belligerent, there is no need to become frustrated with the situation; let the music work its magic. Dr. Winner, author of the book: Stress Management Made Simple, states, "Even music that parents find jarring can be helpful." Thirty minutes a day of a child's personal choice of music can decrease the stress hormone, cortisol, thereby making them feel fifty percent happier. I say let the music play.

Child activities that have some surprising positive health benefits- Games and glasses

Does your child play entirely too many video games for too many hours a day? Does it make you want to pull your hair out if you hear one more "In a minute, Mom" when asking if the trash was taken outside? One hour of video game playing a day... notice the key word is one hour not six, can actually sharpen a child's vision by almost twenty percent. Games nowadays (so unlike Space Invaders from our time) are more graphic with much more detail. A child's brain can quickly adapt to all the action and detail.

I have not only read the book, Stress Management Made Simple, but I bought it for easy hands on reference in the future. It is going to be wrapped and placed under the tree as a family gift.