Build Resilience & Connection through Neighbourhood Play

Helicopter Parenting might keep your children safe in the short term, but what life skills are they missing out on for the long term that they gain through free play?

Mike Lanza, Author of the book Playborhood, recognised a huge part of childhood that children seemed to be missing out on when he first had children of his own.  What were his fondest memories as a child, playing at a neighborhood hangout with friends, making up games, creating your own rules and culture seemed to be a thing of the past.  He's created a movement to bring back 'The Third Place' for kids, a sociologically important place where children build resilience, self-relience and independence among other things.

"Playing on your own, it's not just an instinct, it's also a skill and children who do it a lot get quite good at it".

Show notes:

• Pay attention to kids lives.  "What kids are missing out on today... these were our best memories".
• The Third Place, is fundamental to human beings, but it's being replaced by social media.
• The magic of continuity of play.
• Kids used to play "Pick-up Sports' where kids make the decisions and their own rules.
• The safety factor, how to make it safe for your kids to hang out in their neighbourhood.
• Time in front of the TV of computer is time taken away from interacting in the real world.
• "It's never too early to start getting your kids in touch with your neighbourhood"
• How to create a neighbourhood hangout.
• How being contoroling as  a parent can be counter productive.
• The three ingredients for developing independence and self-relience.
• 'If you invest the time when your kids are young it's a win-win".

www.playborhood.com