Playful parenting
Children are naturally playful but most adults need reminders to be playful. Being playful includes using humour, creativity, and silliness. It’s about focusing on joy and fun during playtime and also during daily routines. To become more playful, try to slow down the pace of a busy day (whenever possible), make time for things that make you both smile, and have time together without distractions.
In day-to-day interactions, parents often have to set limits and get their child to do things they don’t want to do. Doing that in fun and playful ways can help parents keep a positive outlook and avoid power struggles. Think about a child who is angry and refusing to put on shoes. What if the parent tried to put their own foot into the child’s shoe saying, “I just don’t understand why my shoe doesn’t fit anymore!” As your child grows, notice all the new ways you can be playful together.
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- I am learning what my baby likes to do.
- I love that I can make my baby smile.
- My children enjoy playing together, especially when I play with them.
- They have different abilities so I try to find things they both like to do, like singing and drumming.
- My younger child needs more of my help but I make sure to give them both lots of attention.
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- When my toddler and I play together, we can have fun without toys.
- One of my toddler’s favourite things is when we respond to each other in playful ways, going back and forth.
- If I give a high-five and my toddler reaches up and giggles, I know they are showing that I should do it again.
- I always pay attention to how my toddler reacts so I can stop when they lose interest.
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- When my child doesn’t want to do what I’m asking, I take a playful approach.
- It can be helpful to turn things into a game, like peek-a-boo, and to slow things down to match my child’s pace.
- There are many situations where being playful, or even getting silly, can help me to positively guide my child and avoid frustration.
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