Why this Vogue editor and mom is preaching less study and more play

Dragging myself out of bed after a night shoot for a meeting at my kid’s school at 8am wasn’t something I was ecstatic about. Well, not until I met a fabulous teacher, as rare as a breath of fresh air in this city. In a nutshell, she told us that our kids need to focus on play. Yup, this isn’t a typo. We were asked, in no uncertain terms, how many of us remembered what we had learned in school between the 5th and 7th grades? And as I tried to jog my fading memory of middle school, the teacher continued to question how much of the academics we may or may not have slaved over had any real impact on us today. ‘None’ was the resounding answer in my head. As her wings were discreetly hidden from the rest of us mortals, she implored us to seek a balance for our children and then tip the scales towards play. After all, kids are meant to be kids, and nothing in this phase of their lives is more important than just being allowed to play freely.

The competition seems to start in the womb, with kids almost being pre-destined to attend various courses before they’re even born. From creating baby Einsteins before they can speak or baby yoga masters before they can stand, the list of expectations from these tiny tots never ceases to baffle. And for some reason, the pressure to compete tends to warp even the most rational minds. So after inadvertently slipping into this trap on rare occasions (when I doubted my actual beliefs), the chance to move away from this competitive lure during the middle school (5th-7th grade) phase granted much-awaited clarity.

Why have we started taking play away from our children at such a young age? Why do kids find academics a burden and play a luxury? Shouldn’t we teach our kids to embrace the joy of learning, maybe through the act of play? I’m a professional who has a demanding job that requires my creativity and time. And I feel I have this zest because of the way I was taught at school. Co-curricular activities during school hours were as important as studies. I’m also a mother, and we all know there is nothing quite as demanding as that. I dream of coming home and playing with my kids as they learn, instead of eating their heads off about not having done piles of dreary homework. I want to connect with them emotionally and know how their day went. I want them to remember the fun they had during their school day and have them share this with me.

As I left the schoolroom, I couldn’t help but think that our educational system can be so productive if it is handled with sensitivity. It can retain a child’s creativity and strengthen their development, nurturing both their IQ and EQ. If only we could have more teachers or angels like this one, who are in search of that fine balance.

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