TURKEY

“All parents need to do is invest 40 minutes a week in their children”

Orit Josephi Wiseman who was in Istanbul on November, gave seminars of self development. She also wrote a book about the special play time that parents should share with their children. We asked her why she decided to write this book, and her advices to the parents.
“All parents need to do is invest 40 minutes a week in their children”

Eti Varon


This is your second book for the Turkish readers… This time you’re giving advice to the parents… Why do you think Turkish parents should read your book?

I think, not only Turkish parents, all parents should read my book. Over the years of working with children in my clinic it became apparent that because the world is changing, children are not getting the environment they need for a balanced development. So if we look around, we see very clever children, cognitively highly developed, but emotionally and socially underdeveloped. That means that it is hard for them to deal with frustration, for example, they don’t know how to handle social situations well enough, etc.

While children sit in front of screens, they are not interacting with other children and developing the emotional and social aspects of their growth. This problem becomes acute as children grow and often negatively affects their adult lives. This is the reason I wrote this book.

In our present world, usually both parents are very busy… What’s the best thing a parent can do with his/her child, in a limited time?

I wanted to reach as many families as possible to show them an easy and fun way that will help developing those aspects that no longer develop naturally through play. There is vast research proving the effect of this method and I believe that this special tool should be available to all families. All that parents need to do is invest 40 minutes a week in their children, using ‘Special Play Time’ to remedy the lack in their children’s development.

All parents say they love their children, but when it comes to playing, no one has the patience… Or the parents want the child to play according to his/her rules… Is that usually the case?

If you look at children anywhere in the world, even in remote place, you will see that their spontaneous play is the same. It is a natural instinct that evokes in children for a healthy development. These days, those instincts are not given enough space to do their work because the screens are taking over children’s time.

They spend most of their free time in front of screens – TV, computer, iPhone, iPad, etc. Parents, on the other hand, are very busy with work and other issues and often are not available or aware enough to handle emotional aspects of their children, quite happy to let their children escape to those screens.

You’re an expert on game therapy… In what fields especially game therapy can help an individual? Is it for children only? Can adults do it as well?

Play is the language of children. It is the best vehicle for them to develop not only their motor skills but also their emotional and social skills. Children process their experiences and difficulties through imaginary play.

If you look at adults, you will see that adults are learning better from games and experiences than from being lectured to. By the way, our courses for adults are combined with lectures and games or experiential processes for this reason.

People who wish to attend your seminars… What should they expect?

Our seminars are not parenting seminars but personal development courses for adults. In the near future, I intend to give a series of parenting lectures, on different subjects, such as, setting boundaries – how to lead our children to a better future, using praise in a special way to change behavior, dealing with sibling rivalry, listening to the emotional issues of children, etc.


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