Kids need to play. They need exercise and movement. It’s a natural need. So I say, let’s give them the opportunity. I purposefully plan daily playtime into my homeschool daily routine to allow for periods of unstructured, uninhibited playtime. It’s important for children’s natural development. I recommend this to everyone.
I hear all the time that my daughter may have ADHD. Granted, the people who say this to me are usually joking. They don’t really mean it. And I laugh with them, because it’s kinda true. Laynie does have a lot of energy. She does have a very difficult time sitting still. She is always fidgeting. She gets it honest – my fourth grade teacher called me her little bird for always sitting “on my perch” during class (she could never get me to sit on my chair the right way, instead I would sit on my feet, and evidently it was quite a distraction to the other kids because I remember my assigned seat was in the back of the room, LOL). I loved Mrs. Jackson, by the way.
But nah, I don’t think she has ADHD. She’s just used to being allowed to play. Movement, activity, impulsiveness, it just comes naturally to her. She’s uninhibited. And I’m actually kind of proud of that.
Nope, I think, she does not have ADHD. She’s a 7 (almost 8) year-old kid. This age is naturally impulsive, active, and playful. And I love her spontaneity and freedom to pretend. She’s so naive and happy. So I let her go.
If she were in public school, these traits would be scolded, shamed, and she would eventually be molded into the quiet, obedient, bored-as-a-brick child behind a desk that I know she could be. Teachers would probably love her because she would conform. I’m sure of it. She is able to do so in other social settings with adult leadership and among peers her age (such as at church, our homeschool co-op, and at gymnastics lessons, etc.). So I am not worried about her.
I simply disagree with the idea that a child need to sit still for lengthy periods of time. I think children need to be active, move, and develop the skills to sit still and work behind a desk later on in life. Right now, let them play. Let them be kids. Just my honest opinion.
So, add playtime into your daily homeschool routine. Let your kids play, unstructured, free to do as they please. Let them run, climb, swing, throw things, jump, do cartwheels, dig in the dirt, build fairy houses in the garden, whatever makes them happy and gets their wiggles out. And if they can’t sit still during your lessons with them at the kitchen table, it’s really no biggie. Is it, really? Nope. It’s not.
