THE UNIQUE ROLE OF MEN IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

Typically, fathers more than mothers foster risk-taking in their children such as climbing unaided on play structures or jumping into the water. In their role, mothers are usually the first attachment figure when the child seeks comfort. A recent study (Paquette & Bigras, 2010) developed the concept of “enabling relation”, which refers to the emotional bond of encouraging the child to go in the world outside.

The goal of this research was to stimulate the 12 to 18 month old child to engage in risky situations with controlled management while observing limits imposed by the father. The results highlighted the rich contribution of fathers in the development of trust in their children.

This little scientific detail shows that a child’s confidence is fundamental in experimenting with motor activities. The results of this study have lead me to educate families and those in the workplace (daycare and school), so that dads and male workers are actively involved and taking a role in contributing to the development of confidence and courage in children. Gentlemen, our genetic coding give us the instinct for it! Be careful with extremist behavior; good judgment is always appropriate in relation to the age of your child (especially 3 and under) to avoid accidents.
For workplaces that have no males who work with young children, why not organize a special event for fathers or a male role model (guardian, grandfather or uncle) that would encourage motivation for them to participate in school or daycare. This type of activity creates a sense of belonging to the environment because it promotes male involvement in addition to promoting motor stimulation from another perspective. I personally experienced this type of activity in my Passe-Partout (4 year olds) program and it is without a doubt one of the children’s favorite activities. You will see a very different dynamic in the course of these activities and can observe how men positively influence children to dare to take more motor risks. However, the proposed activities will have to appeal to men so that they are actively involved in playing with their child.

MOTOR ACTIVITIES FOR THE MALE CHARACTER

For dads at home or male daycare/school workers:
 Suggest and organize an open, safe, area (indoor or outdoor) with simple equipment (balloon, ball, rope, mattress, chair, tool, rock, branches, and blanket) that contributes to the imagination.
 Find spaces for various games (soccer, baseball, park, woods). A new game environment can maintain a child’s activity longer.
 DARE the child to move, up, down, through, throwing, catching, jumping, being unstable, not being able to see, sliding, climbing, etc. These are game challenges!
 Be an active role model, trying what you suggest to the child. In public places, do not be shy and remember that laughter does not kill!

Special events with dads at daycare or school
 Jumping Duo (outdoors) – Each parent is paired with their child and they pick up a big pile of leaves. Each parent-child duo is behind a line with a branch, facing their leaf piles located a few meters away. At the signal, the parent must make a long jump leap into the pile of leaves. The child must take the branch and drop it in front of the parent’s feet or the place where he landed. After that, it is the child’s turn to jump and so on until you reach the pile of leaves. For the last jump, the parent and child together jump into the pile of leaves.
 Clearing Balls (indoors) – Beforehand, make several balls from recycled paper and place them in two bags. Ask the class to gather in a fairly large central space. Divide the group into two by marking a center line on the ground. To sound of music playing, happily throw balls of paper into the other area which is the empty area. When the music stops, count the balls to see who the winning team is. Variations: throw the balls with their non-dominant hand to the parents, kneeling from behind, closing one eye, etc.
 John Says “Together” (indoors) – Each parent is paired with their child and a chair in the classroom. This is the same idea as the traditional game of “Simon Says”, but works as a duo. Here are some interesting movements:
 The parent is seated and the child climbs up on his lap.
 The child is under the chair and the parent is standing on the chair.
 Everyone’s right foot is under the chair and the left hand is on the back.
 Walk around the chair hand in hand.
 And there are many other possibilities. Let your imagination run wild!

CONCLUSION

These ideas for a few motor activities are relatively easy to organize and require very little equipment. Challenges created by such activities meet the interests of the male sex (speed, strength, throwing, and running outdoors) in addition to stimulating motor skills in young children. I want you to be daring and organize these activities. You will not be disappointed with the results!

Reference
Paquette, D. & Bigras, M. (2010). The risky situation: a procedure for assessing the father-child activation relationship. Early Child Development and Care, 180 (1 & 2), 33-50.

 

Joël Beaulieu, Ph. D. (c), Motor consultant, A+ Action-www.aplusaction.com