Urban parents’ views on play as a tool for children’s emotional expression

Abstract

One of the natural ways through which children communicate, learn and express their everyday experiences is play. Although the developmental benefits of play are broadly acknowledged, little is known regarding the use of play to support children’s emotional expression in Bangladeshi context. Thus, this study was undertaken to explore the urban parents’ views of play as a tool or medium for children’s (3-5 years) emotional expression and identify the factors that influence parents’ use of play to support children’s emotional expression. The qualitative study was conducted in some urban areas of Dhaka city with purposely selected participants (both father and mother) and followed in-depth interviews and focused group discussion methods to collect and analyze data. The study found that all the participants had a basic understanding of play and they recognised its significance for children’s holistic development. Moreover, the participating parents also acknowledged that children naturally express emotions during play. However, despite being aware, the majority of the participants reported that they do not intentionally use play to teach children about emotions and promote emotional expression. This indicated a gap between urban parents’ knowledge and practice. The findings further showed several barriers to play, including lack of time due to busy life, limited free spaces and increased screen time among children. Parents also perceived that urban life’s competitive nature restricts children’s emotional expression and creativity. The study recommended that intentional play-based parenting practices should be encouraged for facilitating children’s emotional expression and contextual barriers that limit opportunities for children’s emotional growth should be addressed.