Parenting Children Ages 2-6: The Power of Play

Let’s be honest, have you ever met anyone that has as much energy as a little child? It seems like they are constantly making messes, pulling toys out, and wanting you to play with them right?

Let’s imagine that you’re in the middle of cleaning the bathroom. Your animated daughter comes home from school, bouncing with excitement through the door, and totally oblivious to the fact that you’re busy, wants to show you the art project she made at school.

This little artist is super pumped about it, but you just glance at it, and say, “That’s great, honey,” and go back to your scrubbing without really connecting with her and celebrating her creativity. Or maybe your son wants you to read a book to him, but you’re looking over some notes from a work meeting. Do you set aside your notes for now, or do you just tell your son you’ll read to him later?

It’s not always easy as a busy parent, right? Plus, our kids like playing by themselves and with other kids, so is it really such a big deal if WE don’t make time to play with them, too?

I bet you can guess the answer: YES! Of course, sometimes we really do need to finish that conference call or make sure dinner doesn’t boil over, but a lot of the time, we can spare a couple of minutes to play, and those couple of minutes can make a world of difference for our kids!

Need some ideas for how to get started? Here are some tips that can help:

1. Keep in mind that playing with your child has all kinds of cool benefits for them (and you!). Have you ever thought about how spending fun time with your child is one of the most important things you can do to help them grow up to be a good person? It’s true! Among other things, being willing to get down on the floor and race cars with your kiddo, or play “house” with them, or have a tickle fight (1) lets them know they are important to you, and (2) teaches them how to be with people. They can’t learn that from their toys, right?

   Plus, play is a great way to foster connection with your child, especially since it invites positive emotions for both of you. And that CONNECTION is the foundation for them being open to your direction and correction and they’re better able to learn how to make good decisions and foster healthy connections with other people.

2. Remember that your child likes playing with YOU the very best. Sure, playing alone can be fun, and friends are great, but no one is quite the same as Mom or Dad! And you might think, “Well, I spend a lot of time with them! On top of everything else I have todo, I feed them, bathe them, brush their teeth, etc.”

   But PLAY brings your two worlds together in ways that those other things don’t. Your kids know you’re busy, and that makes you making time to connect with them through play count all the more!

3. Ask them if they want to play a couple times a day. Maybe you could take them on a walk around the block, tell them a story, or make a snack with them. It doesn’t have to be for long --just as long as during that time, you’re really “there,”100%–you know what I’m saying? No electronic distractions.

   You are there, open to enjoying the activity, and focused on them. Sometimes when you ask them to play, the answer might be “no” (remember, they still do like to play by themselves or with people other than you), but even the act of asking counts for something! If nothing else, it lets them know that you care and want to play with them!

4. Let them help you with some of your jobs, where possible. They could help set the table or get the laundry out of the dryer. Or maybe they can help you in the garden or with making dinner. These might seem like chores to you, but it can be fun for them, especially if they get to work with you! A wise professor of mine once said, “The purpose of the task is to strengthen the relationship.”

   So when you’re doing chores or working alongside your child, look for ways to build the relationship and connect while also teaching them to work and build some skills that will serve them well in life. That’s not to say that you can just make them do chores all day and say it counts as fun time—that would backfire, right? But working together and finding ways to make it fun definitely has some benefits!

5. Help your child come up with activities to do. Sometimes, they might come to you when they’re feeling bored or lonely. They need some one-on-one time with you but don’t have any particular activity in mind. You could get creative and suggest an activity you both might enjoy, such as throwing together a makeshift blanket fort or making a craft. So having a go-to list of some fun indoor and outdoor activities is a good idea, when they get a bad case of the “I’m boreds!”

These are my tips for tapping into the power of play with your kiddos:

1. Remember that playing with your child has some serious benefits.

2. Keep in mind that YOU are one of their favorite people to play with.

3. Ask them if they want to play a couple times a day.

4. Let them help you.

5. Suggest activities to do together when they need some help thinking of one.

Take a second to subscribe, like, and share this video, and I’d love to know more about the creative ways you play with your children!