Let’s talk about mental health-and not just ours, but our kids’. With everything moving at lightning speed these days, our littles are feeling the pressure too. And while structured environments like daycare and preschool might be necessary (and even great in moderation!), too much of it can start to wear on their nervous systems.

In this episode, I’m getting into why unstructured, independent play isn’t just “nice”-it’s necessary. Kids need time to decompress, to get bored, to create from scratch using simple, open-ended materials. This is how their brains reset. This is how they process the world.

With my background in child development and psychology, I’ve seen firsthand how giving kids more space and fewer adult-led activities can support their mental health in big ways. We don’t need to throw out structure completely-but we do need to balance it with freedom. Because kids deserve to just be, not constantly perform.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Promoting Mental Well-being Through Kids' Downtime

(00:00:56) The Importance of Unstructured Play for Kids

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