AUSTIN, Texas – It is an order that has passed through the lips of many a parent: \u201cQuit that horsin\u2019 around!\u201d However, a better option may be to loosen the reins a bit, according to one expert.<\/p>\n
Larry Cohen is a licensed psychologist who encourages roughhousing. He said physical engagement between children gets them some of the physical activity they need and can also help with mental and emotional development.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been some research that children who do more roughhousing at home and with their peers, they do better in school,\u201d Cohen said. \u201cThey have more emotional intelligence, which is basically knowing your own emotions, understanding them and being able to read and understand other people\u2019s emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n
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At times it can seem little more than controlled chaos, but when it comes to roughhousing, be it peer to peer, or parent and child, there are numerous benefits. Photo: Sharon Mollerus<\/p><\/div>\n
Roughhousing can also help build bonds between parent and child, Cohen added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kind of think of roughhousing sometimes as a free-for-all, but you actually have to tune in to each other, and that\u2019s great for building a connection. In our society now, we are just pushing children so hard to achieve and perform, and they don\u2019t get enough time to just roll around on the floor,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When it comes to the issue of roughhousing and safety, Cohen said he prefers supervision and knowledge, rather than too many rules. It\u2019s an approach that really set in when Cohen\u2019s daughter was younger and climbing around at a playground, and he kept telling her to be careful, over and over.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy friend said \u2018You know Larry, she\u2019s gonna recover more easily from a broken arm than from being timid and fearful her whole life,\u2019\u201d Cohen recalled. \u201cYes, there\u2019s a risk that a child could get hurt, but a loss of an adventurous spirit, a loss of excitement, a loss of confidence is worse than a broken arm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cohen, who wrote \u201cThe Art of Roughhousing,\u201d said for children, especially those who are shy, roughhousing and wrestling around can be one way to help build inner confidence.<\/p>\n