小孩子的工作

小孩子的工作是什麽？------玩耍！！
A kid's job is to play!

小孩子當然不用工作。他們上學，上幼兒園，上學前班，在家呆著，看電視。如果有需要他們做的事的話，應該就是玩耍了。與同伴嬉笑追跑，與小朋友玩遊戲，在沙坑裏挖戰壕造城堡，搭積木過家家，或者獨自一人滑滑梯，蕩秋千，滾鐵環，畫畫兒，剪紙，看螞蟻搬家看白雲變蒼狗，可以做的事情多得不得了。讓孩子擁有自由玩耍的時間，對於培養創新能力和創造力有著絕對不可低估的重要性。可惜在當今的世界裏，這個由孩子自己支配自己掌握的時間板塊越來越小。

No Fooling: Experts Bemoan Loss of Kid' Play Time (by David Crary, AP, 18 november 2008,
International Business Times)

NEW YORK (AP) - Many early-childhood educators are concerned about the dwindling amount of time allotted to America's children for unstructured, creative play. Here are some reasons for the problem, some of the consequences and some recommendations:

___REASONS:

_Parental fears about letting children play outside on their own.

_Schools cutting back on recess time.

_More emphasis on organized sports and other structured extracurricular activities.

_More time spent by kids watching TV, playing video games, using cell phones.

_More emphasis by schools and parents on improving kids' academic skills.

___CONSEQUENCES:

_Higher rates of obesity, stress and attention deficit disorder.

_Less contact with nature.

_Social ineptness.

_Potential disadvantage in the global economy in regard to creativity, innovation.

___RECOMMENDATIONS:

_Developing "safe spaces" where children can play freely outdoors in their neighborhoods.

_Reduce use of "passive entertainment" including TV and computer games.

_Promote use of imagination-nurturing toys such as blocks and dolls.

_Encourage fantasy role-play for preschoolers.

_Let kids play at playgrounds, etc., without feeling their parent is watching every move.

_Don't insist on playing with your child if he or she is happily playing alone.

___Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; psychologist Michael Thompson.

(Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)