Binghamton Researchers: Playing With Your Kids Impacts Their Mental Health

Remember when we were kids? And do you remember how our parents would get down on the floor and play with cars or dolls with us and would make us feel like we were the best thing in the whole world because they gave us their time and attention? We need to carve out time to start doing those things again – the mental health of our children depends on it.

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It would seem that technology has pulled a good majority of parents away from giving their children undivided attention. Tablets, cell phones, and even laptops are often a major distraction that parents are glued to instead of shutting everything off to focus on their children and doing things with them.

According to researchers at Binghamton University, when parents play with their children, it helps guard the child(ren) against developing personality disorders later on in their lives. The researchers found that when a parent took the time to do things with their child(ren) it helped them connect with people rather than solely with technology.

Children need to build a connection with their parents, especially during their early years, and those who don’t build that connection will have a much more difficult time connecting with other individuals outside of their family later on in life.

In his report, study author Mark Lenzenweger explained, "…this impairment [that] predicts the appearance of schizoid personality disorder symptoms in emerging adulthood and beyond."

A parent doesn’t need to spend 24-hours a day with their child to build a bond. Simple acts such as taking time to read a book to them or helping them with their homework, or helping them learn a new task and doing these things regularly will help the child’s psychological health into adulthood.