How Playtime Nurtures Relationship

I once heard during a parenting seminar a refreshing advice to fathers: upon arriving home from work, do not relax or rest just yet and talk about what transpired during the day. Instead, immediately jump on playing with your kids, cuddle them and engage them in active play. The advice goes far by saying that it will tremendously improve your relationship with your kids. Since I heard it three years ago, I never failed practicing it; first, with my eldest and now even with my youngest. It works as advised!

There is something about playing with my children that makes them feel loved. It’s not so much about the toys. As a matter of fact, they find it more exciting to play with broken toys and creatively make something out of it. I learned that their imagination are limitless!

Playtime gives a special feeling to our kids. The attention, the time and the willingness to adjust our “maturity” to their level of imagination, all of these improve our emotional and psychological connection with our kids. When kids see that we are willing to adapt to their level and share the experience with them, it becomes easy for us to teach them about obedience and even about life! The transition from their imagination to the realities of life is bridged by our enthusiasm to enter their world first and foremost. Playtime with our kids is one of the earliest means of telling them “hey, we will be here for you as long as we live and as God permits!”