Is Not Playing With Your Child Making You Feel Guilty?

"Mom, can you pretend to be Olaf and I will be Anna?"

"Mom, let's have a pretend tea party!"

"Mom, would you play trains with me"?

...dinosaurs, horses, dolls, butterflies.... The list is endless.

The day I had my first child I found a true life purpose.

The day I decided to become a stay at home mom was one of the best decisions in my life.

But sometimes there is so much of dinosaurs, fairies, fake cup of teas I can take...Let's be real - pretending to be a weird creature that concurs the world isn't something that I particularly wish to do when I get up in the morning.

There are a lot of other things that I truly enjoy doing with my kids such as making diffuser necklaces, learning outdoor activities, making toys, making videos with them, having long talks during evening massages and so much more.

LOSE the guilt

I know it's "eating" you. Sometimes I feel humongous guilt too.

 

But then I remember family systems theory that we studied in college, which basically said that every family is different. How?

Well, some parents are very "touchy and feely" type, while others are low affection type. But guess what  - it doesn't matter how you interact with your child as long as there IS a communication with respect, trust, love and understanding.

 Good news is that it doesn't matter if you play a pretend tea party or pretend to be a dinosaur for weeks, you are still A GOOD PARENT and are raising an AWESOME child.

BUT You Still Have To Play...

Some of best memories from my childhood comes when my dad used to play hide and seek with us every Saturday. It was the biggest fun we had  with my brothers. There are only few years until your kids won't want to play with you anymore and you will miss that. I know I will.

Here are few tips to help you "ease" the play time with your children:

1. Make a schedule for it. I know, some may not like this, but - hey, if you hope for spontaneous playing mood and you are not "the playing kind" that mood won't come. Or if it comes, it will stay until your child asks you to be a butterfly and fly around the room on one foot.

So set a time. Whether it's once a day, once a week or even once a month.

That way your child will know that there is a time when mommy will play with them and they won't be asking you for it all day long.

2. TURN OFF everything around you.

It's easier to get in the play mood when you don't have TV on, when your phone isn't beeping with the latest FB or email updates. Don't let that full sink dirty dishes get to your either. You will enjoy the play a lot more.

3. Change play location and make it more fun.

• Build a fort,
• make a cardboard house and play in it together
• get your dream doll house. Seriously, I love playing with it more than my daughter ...
• make a train and get on a "trip"
• or just play a pillow fight.

4. When you are REALLY not in the mood to play "pretend", offer your child some fun alternatives that they can't refuse. These Balloon games are the "winner" in our house on a desperate afternoon.

How about you? Do you play with your kids? Do you enjoy it?

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