Are Devices Making Children Less Creative?

From Growing Pains · 42:14

Show by HoneyKids Asia

Some children walk into a room full of toys and say they don't know how to play.Lovleen Walia hears it more than you would think. She is a certified Play Therapist in Singapore, using figurines, clay, art, sand trays instead of questions. She gives no instructions. She doesn't interpret, yet children tell her things they have told no one else, which is why friends call her Mary Poppins. (She does not own an umbrella.)At home, her two girls get close to zero screen time. She calls herself a strict mom. Her friends tell her to let the kids enjoy the movie.We talk about what she sees when your child plays and you don't, the $200 problem nobody has solved, and a conversation with her own mother that left the studio tearing up.The next time your child says they are bored, you will want to have heard this first. Hit play.What You'll Take AwayWhat happens when a child walks into a room full of toys and asks what to doWhy Lovleen never asks a child a single questionWhat a child lining up toys in silence might be telling a play therapistWhat Lovleen's daughters say when the film ends (it is not what you would expect)The two rules behind a judgment-free play space at homeThe restaurant table game where anything can be anythingThe 10 minutes Lovleen asks every parent to hand over tonightIN THIS EPISODE:00:00 | Teaser: What Are Screens Taking Away From Our Kids?00:55 | Meet Lovleen Walia: The “Mary Poppins” of Play Therapy02:17 | From Reality TV to Mumbai at 2004:07 | Too Indian, Not Indian Enough: The Casting Struggle05:17 | The Moment She Realised Children Needed More06:35 | Play Therapy: When Toys Speak for Children09:38 | Inside a Play Therapy Room12:43 | Why Some Children No Longer Know How to Play13:54 | Stop Entertaining Your Kids19:31 | The Families Who Can’t Afford Therapy22:15 | When a Teacher Says Something Is Wrong25:16 | Strict Parenting Without Fear or Punishment28:13 | Why She Refuses to Hit or Use Silent Treatment30:55 | Raising Kids With Almost Zero Screen Time32:37 | When Your Child Becomes the “Therapist” Friend34:02 | Grandparents, Boundaries & Picking Your Battles36:20 | What We Lose When a Mother Tongue Disappears39:36 | Your Child Isn’t Giving You a Hard Time41:21 | Faz’s Top Three TakeawaysAbout the GuestLovleen Walia is a certified play therapist in Singapore, one of very few practising a method that uses toys, sand trays and figurines instead of questions. Before therapy, she won Singapore's spot on India's first reality TV show, acted in Mumbai and taught drama to hundreds of children. She is a mother of two girls, teaches Punjabi, and is pushing for play therapy to reach schools and hospitals.Website: https://northstartheraplay.com/Instagram: @northstar_theraplayConnect with Growing PainsGrowing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed.YouTube: @growingpains.honeykidsInstagram: @honeykidsasiaWebsite: honeykidsasia.comHit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one resonated, share it with a parent who needs it.Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio.

More episodes of Growing Pains

More episodes

PodSearch is a free, independent podcast search engine. Read about PodSearch, the privacy policy or contact us.