Play Matters is a quick snip for busy parents, to help you understand child development & why play is so important in your daily routine.
Developing Self - Identity
Development of a strong self identity or sense of self is an important aspect of child development to nurture. It affects the child's overall sense of wellbeing & connectedness.
To have a strong self identity is to know yourself well. How you 'tick'; what causes you stress & what brings you joy or calm; what kind of people are your crowd & who you should limit time with; what occupations bring you happiness & what burns you out.
Developing a strong sense of self identity is a lifelong process, however, childhood is a pivotal time to begin exploring who we are.
The better our sense of self identity, the more confidently we can navigate life's challenges & understand how to regulate our stress.
See the table below for tips on ways you can assist development of self-identity through play & ways that you can support development through role modeling behaviour
Developing through play | Role modeling |
Role play games (picnics, tea parties, doctors, Mums & Dads, farms, etc) | Verbalising your thoughts to your child provides an example of natural thought patterns |
Dress ups - using a variety of character outfits, regular oversized clothes & props | Verbalising your feelings will highlight that you feel anxious trying new things too, normalising this reaction |
Access to lots of new experiences | Talking about when you were a child & some things you used to do |
Repetition of familiar experiences - this helps to strengthen concepts & connections | Playing with new styles & approaches yourself |
For more support on understanding child development & how to assist in your child's healthy development, make sure to join our mailing list so all of these goodies come direct to your inbox!
If you would like an example of how we role model some of these behaviours in our house, check out our blog about teaching gratitude & resilience here.
If you enjoyed this quick snip, I would LOVE if you could like, share & leave a comment to help us reach more people.
Have a wonderful day!
Kayla x