The Power of Play: 4 Ways to Encourage Imaginative Play

I had a dream that led me to start using the signature Play=Peace. I realized after a short time that my dream was ‘present’-ing itself to help frame our mission statement, Play=Peace. Our name intuitively says it all.

What does Play mean to you?

Play is our human birthright. Play serves life and is a mode of life. When we play well all of life becomes playful. We fall in love with our work because it is play. We come up with creative solutions and make the best of our opportunities. We love deeply with a full

heart. Our dreams become reality when we nourish what our soul is calling us to claim. Parents can bring a playful attitude into all aspects of their lives—whether that’s changing diapers, potty training, playing house, tossing leaves in the air, building with blocks, taking a walk with their preschooler, washing dishes, cleaning up after lunch, soothing a crying child, reading a bedtime story, dealing with a problem at work, getting ready for the day, a trip to the park, or any other moment of the many moments that we experience as parents. Sometimes we forget that ‘getting ready for’ is just as important as the actual event we are ‘getting ready for’. Seriously! No matter what our age, play is important and benefits us all.

What does Peace mean to you?

Peace is what each of us feels when we are living in the moment and our mind-heart-soul-spirit are in balance. What is past is past, what is in the future is yet to come. What we have in this moment is what matters and when we fully embrace life and experience what life offers us as parents we are free to be ourselves. Listening to the dreams of our children and sharing our dreams as a family and community creates an atmosphere filled with purpose and soulfulness. Our dreams are offered as gifts helping us through their stories to find peace within that spills out into everyday living. When we as parents are at peace with ourselves we have a better chance of helping our children find their own unique, peaceful paths.

What is some advice you would give to parents who are looking for some more Peace in their lives?

Take the time to play for yourself first—in your own unique way—even if that play is only for 5 minutes, put play on your calendar as a priority. When we play as individuals and bring playfulness into all aspects of our life all our relationships (love), how we attend to our dreams, our work, and what we want to create in life change for the better—that ‘goodness’ allows us to live our life (not someone else’s idea of what our life should be) and we are able to gift our children with the freedom to be themselves and pass all the ‘goodness’ on to the next generation….

What are some tips you would give parent’s on being more Playful at home with their children?

First, be a Playful Parent. Go on play dates by your self, experience something new (2 hours is a good marker for these play dates); then, spend time with your partner, friends, family, and your community playing on a regular basis. Play-storm with other adults ‘ways to play’ together, outings, explorations, travel in your home town, game nights, dancing, theatre, hikes [fill in the blank] You will notice the difference right away if its been a while since you took the time to play. It is so easy in our busy lives to not take the time to play especially as busy parents. Work-aholism is reality (and that’s even if when you love what you do).

Then, after you have taken care of yourself and your needs *yes, its okay to have your own needs as a parent* then take time every day to play with your children. Multi-tasking is out—read a story, ask your children to share their dreams and listen, draw a picture together, take a walk, play house under the table, travel to distant planets in your imagination, make play dough together, play outdoors (really important!) [fill in the blank with other playful experiences’ and LAUGH, SING, DANCE, BE SILLY, BE YOURSELF, HAVE FUN!

(There are so many great play resources at the library, at community centers, or online—pick one new ‘way to play’ each week and give it a whirl!)

Anything you would like to add for our parents who have toddlers/preschoolers/young child at home? 

It is undeniably true—as a parent you are busy. Take mini-breaks during the day stretching, taken deep breaths, yawning—check in with yourself and ask yourself, ‘how am I feeling at this moment’? If the answer is not playful, make a gentle adjustment and ask your self, ‘how can I bring playfulness into this moment’?

Take the time each day to stop, listen, and play with your children [again, put aside the digital/electronics] and attend to what is important, LOVE. Time has a way of slipping by and before you know it that baby is a toddler, that toddler is a preschooler…

Was this helpful? Want more help?

I meet with parents 1-on-1 by phone/Skype. If you’d like to explore more ways to be a Playful Parent please give me a shout. We can schedule a complimentary first call to explore. maryalice@playequalspeace.com

Mary Alice Long, PhD is the creator of Play=Peace™ and a Seattle-based Jungian therapist who believes in the importance of our imagination, play, and creativity.

http://playequalspeace.com

On May 2nd, the Mommybites Summit will be at the at the New Yorker Hotel at 8th & 34th St in Manhattan!  Click here to find out more information on the event.

The Mamas Expo is on Saturday, May 5th at the NY Hall of Science in Queens.  Take a look at their Facebook page to preview some of the vendors!

Operation Idea

- Draw a picture of the body, then identify the parts

- Create and label clothing

Process Drama Idea

- Show a picture or word to build a character and story for a play.  Then put your masterpiece production up for all friends and family to see!

- Explain to your family and friends the creative process

Here are FIVE easy steps:

1: Children are intuitive beings.

In my experience, I have noticed children feed off of the emotions displayed by their parents. Entrusting the care of your child to someone else is a very delicate decision. For this reason it is important that you, the parent, trust the caregiver. If you cannot find a family friend or relative you can try one of many reliable agencies. Make sure they provide background checks and can provide you with a character profile of your caregiver.

2: Scheduling

Living in New York City is hectic and time is always of the essence – ideally, you would be able meet and screen your babysitter beforehand. However, many of our schedules allow for little free time as it is. If time is a constraint, make a list of what your expectations for the babysitter are:   i.e. snack time 10-15 minutes, homework from 3:30-4:30, playtime etc… This will help maintain the routine you have already established. This also helps you feel at ease while you are away, as you have an idea of what has been done. In some cases the babysitter has an agenda of their own i.e. story time, drawing showcase, etc…

3: Prepping for the departure.

Prepare for the departure. Be sure to tell your child in advance that you will be leaving them for some time. More importantly reiterate that you will return. This is important for the younger children as they have a fear of being left alone. This is definitely the hardest part of the process. However, it is important for your child to be comfortable with being alone and knowing that they and you will be okay. It is also important for you as the parent to be able to go out and enjoy yourself.

4: They will be okay.

With that said, do not drag out your good-byes. Although you do not want nor should you leave without saying good-bye it is important that once you have said it you make a quick exit. Lingering will make it harder for you both but it will also make it harder for your child to acclimate to their babysitter.

5: Check-in

Lastly, it is okay to text or call while you are away, especially if you have just hired a new babysitter or nanny. Once you have developed a rapport with them it will become easier to trust them and be completely at ease. Until then it is fine to check in while you are away especially if it is for a long period of time. However, be discrete as this can disrupt the flow of the activities/ routine. You can also have the babysitter contact you during the day. It is also imperative that you check in once you return. This is a good time to ask questions about how it went.

Obama… “cotton candy”

Clinton… “soft pillows”

Bush… jumped out and said “oh crap” …guess what: he landed in crap!

Making and keeping good friends requires some attention and time. With all the wild demands of parenthood it is no wonder that busy parents often put friendships on the back burner. However, friendships are key to happy and effective parenting and need to be made a priority. Luckily, friendships give back so many wonderful benefits that the TLC devoted to them is time and energy well spent.

Moms and Dads often think that taking time to spend with a friend is selfish and that it takes away from their child. Quite the opposite is true! After enjoying a walk, a dinner or even a quick phone call with a friend there is a biological change that actually calms you and prepares you to take on the next parenting task with reduced stress. We are all hard-wired for this need and our bodies and minds respond so positively when we take time to enjoy with friends.

Friendship has been shown to protect against major depression and anxiety. Social and emotional support is linked in many studies to lowered heart rates, lower blood pressure and decreased stress hormones. It has also been shown to increase longevity through all of these health benefits. Parents are wise to prioritize their health needs. Just as you would be sure to buckle your seat belt, keep a healthy diet and exercise adding, “Take time to spend with a friend” is just as important. The research has proven it but you don’t need to read the studies, instead take that time to do your own experiment. Call up a friend and schedule some time to do something together. Then see how you feel when you return home to your family. You’ll see that everyone will benefit from you taking the time to refuel with a friend.

The Author, Christine Cook is the founder of truebluematch.com, a friendship matching website for parents of young children. It matches moms with moms and dads with other dads for face to face friendship with others in their area. She is certain that the true blue friends in her own life have been a key element in enjoying the past 16 years of happy, healthy parenting.