How many of us really take the time to play with our children?

Playing is not letting the kids play with their toys in the same room that we happen to be in for the moment.  Playing requires interaction, eye contact, imagination, being on the same level and laughter!

Playing with your children has so many benefits, in fact, many discipline problems can be made easier if you play with your children on a regular basis.

Children who have parents who regularly play with them are usually easier to discipline.  They enjoy the good attention much more than the bad attention.  A relationship is established, a bond is being made stronger, and it makes a child feel loved and secure.  It also helps them have a higher self-esteem.  It lets them know and FEEL that they are loved, that they are valued, and that they are worth our time.

Playing also give us, as parents, an opportunity to teach things in a non-threatening way, things that may other wise be met with resistance, such as:

• manners
• how to treat others
• the art of conversation
• how to use their imagination
• responsibility
• cause and effect
• and much, much more

Playing creates memories that will last a lifetime.  It may take a little extra work, when all we really want to do is unwind in front of the TV.  However, we will never regret the time we put into our children.  Our children are gifts and we need them to know and FEEL that they are blessings.