Less Power Struggles, More Play A Guide to Playful Parenting

If you're thinking:

• I barely have time for anything as it is, how am I going to find time to learn to play with my child?
• playing is children's business, mine is to be serious
• when my child misbehaves, they need to be punished so they learn not to do it again

What if I told you that all of these are unfounded worries?

I rarely come across parents who know how to play with their children. And by play, I don't mean carefully prepared sensory activities (don't get me wrong, for some children and parents, those are the preferred way of connecting, and there's nothing wrong with that), I mean those moments when parents really have fun with their little ones, joke around, laugh, roughhouse. These last ones help with connection, require no preparation and can, over time, solve many of children's cooperation problems.

In this guide I bring you many such simple ideas, so that you don't have to come up with them yourself.

I will offer you:

• ideas for games and jokes suitable for moments of connection
• ideas for daily routines, such as going to the bathroom, the morning routine, the evening routine (and tooth brushing), tidying up toys, and more
• general ideas for you to build on

We don't need extra time to be playful. Moreover, if we're struggling with daily routines (getting out of the house, brushing teeth, tidying up toys, etc.) the ideas in this guide might make your life easier and help you cooperate better with your little ones, saving you precious time - time that before you used to spend managing tantrums or big emotions.