How to awaken your childhood joy

Are you bored with playing with your child? Or maybe you feel uncomfortable showing joy and commitment during such games, because somewhere in the back of your head you hear: "Come on, a grown man ... A woman, a mother to children!" Or maybe you explain to yourself that your daily duties overwhelm you. How to awaken your childhood joy.

Playing with the child is important for the child and the parent

Games for a child are an element of development: they provide knowledge about the world, about the principles of social life, support the development of communication with the environment, arouse cognitive curiosity, strengthen self-esteem, facilitate self-understanding, develop key competences for success in adult life. They take the child - depending on the age - a large part of the day. Parents' participation in games strengthens the conviction that these activities of the child are important not only for him, but also for adults. This builds the child's conviction that he or she is important to the caregivers. It strengthens ties, strengthens the sense of security, affects relationships and good communication.

In addition to the benefits listed for the child, the benefits for the parents must also be indicated. For an adult, participation in games can be a great opportunity to relax, rest, reduce stress, and catch a distance to difficult situations related to, for example, work. But the greatest benefits are in the area of ‹‹relationships and getting to know your child. By playing together, allowing the child to initiate games or participate in the rules of the game set by an adult, many parents are surprised to discover their children's resources. Praise, appreciation for efforts and support in difficulties, and above all, joining the child's life will have an impact on the relationships that they will develop together. This will bear fruit in difficult moments (e.g. when a child breaks the rules), as well as when younger and older teenagers take on barriers to their image of the world and adults (e.g. testing parental patience regarding order, how to dress, return home, use from a computer, etc.).

How to work with yourself so that playing with a child gives us joy

Try to name the reason why you are avoiding or not enjoying playing with your baby, and then take corrective action. Where to look for the reasons? Perhaps among the following:

1. I feel tired of my duties, and when I finally do everything I need to do, I won't have the strength anymore.

It can be true. But it may also be that among all the activities you do, there are some that you can articalpone or you can do them by someone in your household. Or maybe only part of it is necessary to do and the rest is due to your perfectionism and excessive criticism?

2. I believe that children should play alone or with other children. They have tons of toys. They can organize their own time.

Toys alone are not enough for a child to enjoy playing. In addition, it often needs the support of an adult to learn about the possibilities offered by a particular toy. It will also increase the enthusiasm for using these toys in ways other than the initial play.

3. Adult participation in play is to dissolve the child, and the child should understand that the adult is the adult and the child is the child.

Playing together with a child can be a great opportunity to teach a child internal discipline, organize time, control emotions, accept rules and deal with failures.

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4. It is not proper for an adult to play like a child

Thinking in terms of "dropping out" / "not righting out" greatly limits our involvement in various activities. Today, it is no longer surprising that an adult learning to swim, skate or ski. So why is it surprising for a parent who together with a child builds a car track or a zoo out of blocks, where animals from the child's collection will soon live.

5. Playing with children is boring, I have my own interests

If so, maybe you have to try? Or maybe ask a child what is so amusing, interested and passionate about this activity? Maybe there is something that will amaze adults, kidnap them and make them laugh ...

6. Any other reason? Maybe it's okay to make a profit and loss balance sheet:

• What do I gain by playing with my child? Closeness, good relationships, getting to know the child, discovering his resources, noticing areas in which he needs support, internal discipline, dealing with emotions and accepting failures, a pledge of less trouble in the future.
• What can I lose irretrievably? The possibility of accompanying the child in development, getting to know the child, trust, good relationships, going through the storms of adolescence calmly, being close when he grows up.

It's good to hold your hand, hug, support, wipe tears, talk, play together, accompany as long as they let us, because children are growing fast and it may turn out that it will be too late for that in a moment.

How to be a partner in sharing time / interests for a child

Time-sharing partnerships can be realized in many ways:

• Engaging in your child's play: "Can I also draw with your crayons?", "But a great car track!" Are we going to do a competition? "," I can see that your dolls have some great event, can I be invited? "
• Proposing that the child initiate play: "What are we playing with?", "What game do you suggest?", "Which is the best game today?"
• Initiating games in which the child can join: "I have set up a goal on the lawn, what rules of the game do we set?", "I brought Scrabble, are you playing alone or with your mother or with me?"
• Talking to your child about expectations regarding play and planning joint activities: œTomorrow is Saturday, maybe we will ride our bikes to the forest? Unless you have a different idea? œ I just finished, what can we do together now? œ I'd love to play with you, just explain the rules to me first. 
• Showing the child new areas, also those that the child considers not interesting: "You know, today a fascinating phenomenon is to be visible in the sky, will we look for information on this topic together?", "I remember that you were bored with a book about trees, or maybe you will be interested in a quiz on this topic, I will gladly try to solve it with you "," Attention, attention, I am announcing a competition for ... "
• Involving the child in adult activities: "I would eat a sweet croissant, can we bake it together?", "I plan to renovate a bench in the garden, would you like to help with painting?", "If you help with cleaning, we will go to the swimming pool earlier!"

Playing for a child is an activity supporting comprehensive development. If an adult caregiver participates in them, the benefits for the child may be even more, but so does the adult. Having fun together is not only an opportunity to be with each other, but also to discover the child in himself, and then we intensify the joy, increase creativity and renew the resources of vitality. The more time you spend with your child, the greater the œadvance for good relationships in the future.