One third of parents think playing with their children is BORING

As any parent will know, keeping your little ones entertained isn't exactly child’s play.

But in a surprising trend computers seem to have become the new electronic babysitter.

One in three parents play computer games with their children instead of the more traditional ball games in the garden or visit to a playground.

Yet nine out of ten children said electronic games were something they would rather play on their own.

And three quarters of the children surveyed said they would prefer to spend time with their parents actually interacting with them in some way challenging each other, for example, at board games.

The report also reveals that in today’s time-starved society one in five parents forget to play with their children as they are too busy or can’t think of anything to do.

It seems play is in danger of becoming a lost art for families as almost a third of parents even think that spending time with their children is boring.

Professor Tanya Byron, a child psychologist, interviewed 2,000 parents and 2,000 children aged five to 15 to examine the play habits of the nation for her ‘State of Play, Back to Basics’ report.

She found that although children still enjoy the same pursuits as their parents did when they were growing up, there was a widening gulf between what children wanted to do and what their parents thought they wanted to do.

Lack of communication between the generations was a key problem, and that meant that both adults and children were left dispirited and less likely to talk to each other.
30 per cent of parents admitted that they think playing with their children is boring, and over one in ten children (16 per cent) picked up that they feel this way.

Professor Tanya Byron said of the findings: ‘There are four key ingredients to a successful playtime between parents and children namely: education, inspiration, integration and communication.

‘Parents need to take a step back and think back to how their own childhood games used these four pillars and how they can implement them now. The key thing is to have an open and honest dialogue between parents and children and to embrace play environments which provide a great training ground for parents to practice the art of imaginative play by using objects and experiences that are recognisable whatever your age.

‘Cross generational enjoyment, where no family member feels inhibited, under pressure, bored or stressed are key to making these four pillars become part of everyday play.’

She recommended that parents go ‘back to basics’ by remembering what they liked doing when they were young, such as dressing up or playing games, to inspire their playtime with their young.

The report was commissioned by Disneyland Paris which has just opened a new Toy Story themed ‘Playland’.