Play with your children.
I know you’re busy, and also tired, and likely grumpy, and often stressed, and probably sleep deprived. Parents usually are all of the above, including me.
But your kids need your attention, your active, loving, concentrated, playful attention, in small but daily doses.
Play translates to love.
Children learn best through play, and they also bond through play. When you play with your children, you show them that their parents are accessible, reachable, receptive. They feel loved, cared for, excited, stimulated. Their eyes sparkle with mischief and their hearts race with exhilaration and their cognitive ability generally improves. Some of the best memories of our childhood include memories of playing with our parents.
Play is not a luxury for children. It’s a necessity.
So play with them! Here are some quick, easy ideas:
Make silly faces.
Chase them around the room/ house.
Say nonsense made-up words. Repeatedly.
Catch them and tickle them.
Create ridiculous fictional characters for you and them to be.
Pretend to be a baby and have your baby be your mama/baba. Be a terribly annoying baby. (Payback time!
Wrestle with them.
Have a pillow / stuffed-animal fight.
Make up implausible stories.
These are some of the favorites at our house. What kinds of silly games do your kids love?
By:Umm Khalid (MuslimSkeptic)