“Want to play with us, Mum?”, your child asks.
After a long day at work or being busy with commitments outside the home, how would you response to this request?
Do you feel irritated? Frustrated with another to-do thing on your list? Or are you happy and enthusiastic about the prospect of being invited to play with your children?
I understand, by the end of the day, you are already exhausted from your work.Your children are hungry, tired and you still have dinner to consider… the last thing on your mind is to PLAY with your children.
Let’s think about it…
How would you feel when you get home from work, if your felt relaxed and happy, more cooperative and you felt more cheerful, less stressed and more energised? The household mood is then less tense and more joyful? Your children are happy, you can have an enjoyable meal with the family?
Compare this to rushing, being stressed, feeling angry, and children detesting your mood…
What if I told you that if you incorporate a mini play with your children at the end of the day when you get home, smiles will appear. I don’t mean a game of monopoly or card games (that can be left for weekend), but a 10-15 minute play, like a bicycle ride, skipping, playing catch, or better still, incorporating play into what you daily chore, like cooking. Since you have cook, why not make meal preparation a fun game and get your children involved.
What PLAY means to a child
To a child, playing can be in any form, as long as it is FUN! And the best part is you are involved as well. Playing can even mean doing what adults consider are chores.
Here are some tips for cooking together on a normal week night:
- Your children can decide the dish for dinner – it is empowering when they have the opportunity to make a decision. And help to prepare it.
- For a younger child, they can help with washing the vegetables and chopping them up. Guide them how to use the knife (child friendly) and how you would want the vegetables to be prepared. The finished result is not important, as your child is learning;as long as they are happy and the shape is presentable, let it be. It also helps them to explore their senses.
- For the older child, get them to prepare the ingredients either through your verbal instructions or following a recipe book. – Learning to follow instructions.
- Create a challenge, such as when a particular song is finished, the particular chore has to be done. Kids love challenges, they love to please… so when the challenge is fun and not threatening, they are more motivated to fulfill the task. If they don’t manage to finish to task on hand, don’t worry about it, play another song. So long as all of you are having fun.
- If any of your children are keen to prepare the dish, let them have a go. Just be at their side to guide and keep them from getting hurt – Learning creativity.
- Increase their curiosity by asking questions: Such as what if I add salt to the dish, how would it taste? What about more pepper? Should I add herbs? What sort of herb should I add? What about this sauce? What else would they like to add? Give them the chance to be the “boss” of the dish and take ownership of the end product.
FUN play can be in any form, shape or size, but it has a profound impact on both adults and childrens’ well-being.
I mentioned in the previous blog, that play is important for your child’s overall development. It is how they learn about themselves and the world around them.
Children express their emotions either through play and creativity or through a tantrum.
Your child faces many emotions daily, such as jealousy, anger, sadness, joy, panic, fear etc. They are real emotions and they are learning how to regulate them, i.e. handle and express them. When your child plays up, either expressing through a temper tantrum or being physical, it just means they are figuring out ways to express their emotions. It is then up to us to guide them to express them appropriately.
By involving them in meal preparation, it helps them to be creative, and while having fun and laughter, it helps to release their tension and stress. Children love doing things with you, so to help in the kitchen is a positive step for everyone. And chores can be fun.
On top of that, connecting with your children is through shared experiences. By involving your children through fun interactions, it is a great way to connect and build a deeper relationship with them.
As for adults, play helps to release stress and allows you to reconnect to self, by rediscovering the meaning of joy, peace and harmony.
Therefore by having a fun play with your children, even for as little as 15 minutes, you will feel more calm, relaxed and more energised, as well as a more happy, relaxed and cooperative child.
Remember: Interactions + Fun = Connections and Empowerment
>> Cooking and Kids – What can children learn from cooking?
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