Childhood is a delightful time where smoothie mustaches, jumping on one foot, and finding tiny rocks bring great delight.
It also is a time when getting one small task done like putting on socks, eating one bite, and brushing teeth can be filled with tears and friction.
Did you know playfulnes is one of your most potent tools in parenting?
I'm amazed how a sprinkle of silly can defuse attitudes, and speed up cooperation.
Here's some examples:
Cleaning up Toys
I can say "come on, it's time to pick up your toys" twenty times, and have nothing but compound frustration.
But if I say "I'm Doc Ock and I'm going to get these toys!" with a little animation, my kids will instantly giggle and try to rescue the toys in seconds. (Spidey fans over here).
Putting on Clothes
Or if I say "Pajamas now. Come on! I'm shouldn't have to tell you again" with no effort seen.
But if I pretend my kids are invisible and try to "dress the air" with an "Oliver? Oliver? Where are you?" the attention is instantly grabbed and we move on quickly.
Teaching or Giving Instructions
With school I'll teach using a stuffed animal as a puppet in a fun voice when I'm loosing their interest.
Or turn a sock into Mr. Instructions when lining out a day.
Hygiene
Mama Spa is another helpful tool when washing hair or brushing teeth.
"Hello, I see you have an ear squeeze, teeth brushing, and silly song on the order today. Okay, let's get this started."
While saying this, I hold my hand like a pretend clipboard, throw in a few fast silly options and make it feel like an experience.
Food
A silly song can go a long way. "Yummy chicken bite. Cha cha cha...chomp chomp chomp.." any rhythm,any tune, any words can be successful.
This can go on and on, and it's not about making life all sunshine and rainbows. This is not an everyday occurance, because sometimes things aren't fun. And eventually we should get to the point where it only takes one "come here, please" "stop your body" and "it's time to go, say goodbye". But obedience and discipline is a learned skill that takes training.
Sometimes it's just been a long correction day with "no" and "stop" all day. And a little playfulness can really diffuse that emotional exhaustion for child and parent alike.
We haven't done the Bluey dive like some families, but the few episodes I have seen have been so great and this idea was really clear to me. The parents lead with love and fill with fun. A bit of playfulness of talking like robot, acting like a favorite character, or singing an instruction instead of yelling, and it goes a long way.
I'd love to crowd source for more fun ideas! What do you do to add playfulness with your family?
Cheers to Childhood,
Abby