Pablo Ayerbe Caselles |
Santander (EFE).- Tired of seeing the children of their friends and colleagues abusing the screens, some Cantabrian parents have decided to share leisure alternatives such as board games with the little ones.
“Playing with our children” is the YouTube project of Miguel Ángel and Elena, a civil guard and a doctor in industrial engineering with two children, ages 8 and 5, who seek to educate parents.
“We realized that there are many children of the age of Ismael and Samuel who often use technological devices,” they say in an interview with EFE, in which they explain how they were encouraged to share their experience as regular players of board games.
They emphasize that “there is time for everything” and they do not declare themselves against technology, but they defend educating with “everything in its own time” and trying to stimulate their children.
In their videos they propose leisure alternatives such as visiting a bakery, making a homemade volcano or assembling a lego, but they focus on playing board games with their two children and teaching the rules and dynamics.
Elena and Miguel Ángel explain that they receive very positive comments from other families, who admit that they were not aware of these alternatives, since “it is a channel for parents” and not to directly entertain children. “It is useful for other families”, they add.
The game develops “other skills”
Through play, children develop “other skills” and enjoy “another type of leisure” in which they explore their creativity, imagination or vocabulary, they say.
Also “who are not afraid to speak in public”, read or understand “know how to win and know how to lose” as well as “get frustrated” and empathize with the person you are playing with “and not with a screen”.
And in addition, the enjoyment of free and “quality” time with their children is encouraged, in a day to day in which “due to the routine it is also a bit difficult to combine” that time.
The channel, with more than a thousand and a half subscribers in its year of life, also aspires to be supportive and to be able to raise funds and donate games to schools and associations.
Thus, with the games that companies such as OTC and the Distrito Zero store have provided them to make the videos, this couple has donated them to the Amara association, for families with children with cancer, and to the Matilde de la Torre nursery and primary school. from Ganzo (Torrelavega).
“We hope to continue with this task of donating games to more schools and associations,” they trust.