The Art of Roughhousing [Paperback]

Anthony T. DeBenedet (Author), Lawrence J. Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 17, 2011

Everywhere you look, physical play—what some might call “roughhousing”—is being marginalized. Gym classes are getting shorter. Recess periods are being eliminated. Some new schools don’t even have playgrounds. Is it any wonder children retreat to “virtual horseplay” via video games?

But Drs. Anthony T. DeBenedet and Lawrence J. Cohen are here to shake things up—literally! With The Art of Roughhousing, they show how rough-and-tumble play can nurture close connections, solve behavior problems, boost confidence, and more. Drawing inspiration from gymnastics, martial arts, ballet, traditional sports, and even animal behavior, the authors present dozens of illustrated activities for children and parents to enjoy together—everything from the “Sumo Dead Lift” to the “Rogue Dumbo.” These delightful games are fun, free, and contain many surprising health benefits for parents. So put down those electronic games and get ready to rumble!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Enthusiastically recommended."  Starred review --Library Journal

“An inspired defense of roughhousing!  I guarantee that if you read just a few pages of this book, you'll be down on the floor wrestling and laughing with your children.”—Michael Thompson, co-author of the national best seller Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys 

“Two dads offer the perfect antidote to helicopter parenting.”—Washington Post

From the Author

Unlike my co-author, Anthony DeBenedet, who grew up in a rough and tumble household, I am a recent convert to roughhousing.  My dad was not a wrestler, and neither were my three sisters (or my mom).  For me, as a kid, "wrestling" meant getting the crud beaten out of me by bigger, stronger, and meaner boys.  So I avoided it when my daughter Emma was little.  But parental love is a powerful force, and when I saw how much Emma loved roughhousing, I forced myself to dive in.  Soon I was a zealous believer in active physical play, and I started spreading the word.  When I became a step-father to Jake, I learned a whole new dimension in roughhousing.  So when Anthony contacted me, after he read the chapter on roughhousing in my book Playful Parenting, I was eager to write this book with him.  Anthony specialized in cool moves and game ideas; I was the "yee-hah, let's have a wild pillow fight" guy.  As we researched the book, we were excited, but not surprised, to find so much science backing up our claims for the value of roughhousing.  And we were delighted by how much fun we had writing it, especially coming up with names for the moves and games.  Happy roughhousing!--Larry Cohen

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (May 17, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594744874
• ISBN-13: 978-1594744877
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Pregnancy
  • #41 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Activities

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Gift for Dads Who Might Not Have Grown Up Roughhousing July 6, 2011

By Mayflower Girl TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My Dad, even though he is close to 80, is a natural born roughhouser. Although he's never heard of Larry Cohen, he would agree with everything he said in "Playful Parenting" as well as his and Anthony DeBenedet's new book "The Art of Roughhousing." At 79, he's down on the floor wrestling, tickling, and playing with my kids for hours.

My husband grew up in a very different environment--one where physical play just did not happen. I always sensed a bit of wistfulness on his part when he would watch my kids and their grandpa play--especially as everybody is having such a good time. Now, with "The Art of Roughhousing", their own Dad has some great new tricks and ideas to try. Dad is now cool--because not even Grandpa thought about riding a mattress down the stairs!

Love this book. Buy it (and some ice packs) and go to town. And I have to say, it's not just fun for the kids--it's fun for the parents as well. We've decided to use it as part of our weekly family time. We're going through the book and writing down the activities that are age appropriate. Then during our family meeting, one of the kids gets to pick our roughhousing activity of the week.

The first part talks about why roughhousing is good for you.

The second bit is like a little manual of different activities to try... some I'd never have thought of.

There's an intro section with things like Airplane, Alcatraz (you're prisoner in a pile of pillows...escape...and then your kids capture you (or vice versa)), Almost Gotcha (run after your kids and almost catch them..), etc.

A section called flight...with different activities with your kids in the air.

A section called games...including pillow fights, ejection seat (bouncing on the bed until "shot"..and then you jump off the bed), jousting, etc.

A section called contact...wrestling, steamroller (you're rolling on the floor with your kids in your arms), etc.

A section called imagination....big bad monster (you're a monster in the hallway..and every time your kids run past, you trip them up in a playful way), magic carpet ride (carrying a child on a towel held by two adults), etc.

And a final section called extreme roughhousing.

Probably at least 100 or more ideas--all that look great. Some are for younger kids 3 and up, while others are aimed at older kids (10-12+). Most will work for all kids--so get ready to enjoy

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic approach and ideas to put it into practice May 20, 2011

By Sanjoy Mahajan

Format:Paperback

This book is fantastic. The message is serious and important, while the tone is light and playful: an engrossing combination. I was reading the book on the Boston subway and almost missed my stop. Once home, I promised our almost-4-year-old that we'd try a new "wrestling" game that I had just learnt (we started about a year ago after reading Larry Cohen's earlier book _Playful Parenting_). She smiled as I described the game and how we can try it with her and with our 1-year-old.

The book's structure makes for an effective learning instrument, alternating sections of discussion and explanation with sections of roughhousing game descriptions. Each game is described in one page and gives the age range and difficulty, so I flipped through looking for age-appropriate games that would not be too difficult (for me!). As a bonus, the paper is stiffer than normal paperback paper (which too often resembles toilet paper in its cheapness), and that extra springiness and durability enables easy flipping.

May the book become a bestseller. We and our children would be happier and more confident.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book About Importance of Play May 18, 2011

By Sandie

Format:Paperback

As the mother of three sons, I am always looking for engaging ways to interact with my boys. Not only does this book offer fabulous ideas, but it has easy to follow instructions for new roughhousing moves. It wasn't just me who loved the book, either! My boys loved looking through the pictures and begged me to try all the fun! (Their favorite is the mattress rafting, of course!). I have a friend who is due with her third child any day. Instead of getting her yet another baby blanket, I'm going to give her this book. Highly recommended!