It is an old saying that the family that prays together stays together but it is just as important for a family's survival that they play together. In todays frantically busy world, however, where the majority of parents already feel overburdened and stressed out , most parents put playing with their children way down on their list of priorities. It is more important to feed clothe and drive them around to extra-curricular activities where they can play with other children. Play in our culture is seen as a frivolous activity, okay for kids but not an essential activity necessary for a functional family. But good times are the glue that hold relationships together during the more difficult times.
Playtimes can help ease the stress and tension of daily living for all family members.
Family play helps to maximize the communication, the understanding, growth, and joy which is what families are supposed to be all about. Play is the place where children's minds, hearts, and souls meet, and if you would truly know them, you need to go there with them. We adults also are never more fully alive and more completely ourselves than when we are playing. Our children deserve to experience us this way. We need to play with them for our own well-being as well as for theirs.