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From: prieto@aluxp.UUCP (PRIETO)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: How many hours should children play?
Message-ID: <245@aluxp.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Jun-85 09:03:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: aluxp.245
Posted: Tue Jun 11 09:03:29 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Jun-85 22:02:40 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Allentown, PA
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Our only daughter, 5 years old, is persuaded by her mom to take naps
in the afternoon and mostly play inside, by herself or with us. We do not allow her
to be outside without one of us being with her. She does have play time with other
children her age in the mornings when she goes to child care center, my wife goes
to school during that time. My wife rationale is that our daughter is tired or
would get tired with the additional play and the wakingg up go and being in the
child care center, shooping in the super market, etc. I know my wife is
right in that the child should be allowed to nap, specially if tired , but I
sometimes feel that some free play with other children in the neighborhood
would be adequate, problems are that we cannot have the children inside our
home since it interfers with time my wife devotes to her studies, other concer
is abduction although we live in a quiet suburban neighborhood you can never be
to careful specialy since she is our only daughter. Our daughter have friends
normally means have the kidds across the street in our home and not viceversa,
 which my wife feels is not our role all the time to do that but sometimes
in our home, sometime in theirs. Also finding suitable play mates and friends
for her is not that easy, true as parents we are preselecting but we feel we
should since we do not want to raise a rough, aggresive child.

I have suggested to my wife trying to find friends in other street in our
area, so that Laura could have some time of free play
with other children. Again after this background it seems to me that
an hour or two of free play in the late afternoon is benefitial, if the
child is tired she would tend to rest when she is, I would appreciate
your comments or experiences on lenght of free play, the alternate is
that only children must also learn to play and be by themselves.

ihnp4!aluxp!prieto