Imagine that!

A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics has found that good, old-fashioned playtime is good for kids!

Well, duh!

Of course it is. You don't need a study done by a bunch of MD's to know that. All you need is a little common sense. Think about it. Free play allows children to develop in a number of vitally important ways. One is socially. When a kid has unstructured playtime with other kids, he/she needs to learn to interact without an adult telling them how to. Very useful skill that. Now that I'm an adult, I find I don't having some older, wiser person following me around telling me how to act. Good thing I learned how to do that myself.

And then there's imagination. Never, ever underestimate the importance (or power) of a good imagination. I could not do what I do without a strong, active imagination. You can't be a research scientist without one. Well, you could, but you'd suck at it. Look around at people you consider really successful at what they do. I bet they all have strong imaginations. Over-scheduled kids don't get a chance to develop and exercise their imaginations. You can't do that if everything is planned out and structured for you.

Perhaps the people who did the study should participate in some good, old-fashioned playtime...



And now a new feature for the blather...

Word of the post!

I will be attempting to introduce a new word each time I post. Your challenge is to use the word in everyday conversation. Today's word is:

de·fen·es·trate
tr.v. de·fen·es·trat·ed, de·fen·es·trat·ing, de·fen·es·trates
To throw out of a window.

For example: George W. Bush and his cronies have defenestrated the Constitution.

Have fun with it!