palytime

Young children and toddlers look forward to spending time with parents. If you see, these young children prefer playing with parents who make their playtime fun. When asked who your best friend is, many young children will say ‘my dad is my best friend or my mom is my best friend!

Playtime is when child expresses emotion, communicates, bonds, and learns a lot on several topics. Playtime plays a significant role in parent child bonding. Playtime helps in parent child bonding.

Parents might find it hard to engage child during playtime. The problem of keeping them excited and engaged is more challenging during school holidays. How to make playtime more fun for your child and be a best playmate? Here are few suggestions:

1. Play outside: When you play outside in garden, woods, beach, river side, it creates a memory in child’s mind. They love outside world and want to be with nature. It can be watching butterfly, looking at flowers, hide and seek in garden, building sand castle etc.
2. Let child chose: Instead of you deciding on what to play, allow your child to decide. Your job is to help them make decision. Ask them what they want they want to do. Let them take charge. By deciding they will start making right decisions and it improves their communication skill.
3. Give attention: During playtime, it is important to give undivided attention. You have made a commitment and you need to honor it. A child may be young, but child’s mind can grasp and notice everything that is happening around them. If you do not pay attention while playing their enthusiasm of playing will go away. When you give attention, they play with confidence and will learn many more things.
4. Have your friends’ kids join the play dates: Once a while invite your friends children close to your toddler’s age. Ask your child to share toys. his will teach child fun of sharing. Child will learn social skills and will make friends. Creating such opportunities is the ideal way to bring positive relationship in child’s life.
5. Include your other family members: Rope in your family members – child’s grandparents, your husband, and any other family members to play in turns. Child will learn to enjoy the company and will be more accustomed to the idea of playing amidst of people.

Being your child’s playmate makes your child’s little world happier. Children will learn invaluable lessons from playtime with parents. The fear of moving around, outdoors and people will go away. It also teaches discipline and importance of physical activity. Parents involvement in early childhood makes significant contribution in a child’s life. Be a good playtime partner and enjoy parenthood!

Image credit: Image by Neil Dodhia from Pixabay