In Episode 009 of Playfully Faith Parenting, I share some practical tips and a little theology on how to play with your kids when you don’t know where to start.
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Show Notes
Episode Summary:
This episode is inspired by something I heard Stefanie Gass say on a recent episode of her podcast. She said, “I don’t know how to play with my kids.” I thought, “Oh! I can help!”
Here are a few tips I have to share:
1. Ask your kids for help
2. Just say yes
3. Keep practicing
4. Prioritize the time
5. Create something
6. Let it go!
7. Put on some music
8. Pray
Verses from the episode:
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Ecclesiastes 11:8
John 10:10
Links from the episode:
https://stefaniegass.com/thepodcast/
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Transcript
Here is a rough transcript of Playfully Faithful Parenting Episode 009: Help! I don’t know how to play with my kids. This isn’t meant to be pretty and perfect but is here as a resource for those who want it.
Transcript
Hey Mamas.
Joy here, so excited to chat with you today.
Today I have some ideas on how to play with your kids when you just feel like you don’t know what to do.
So I’ve talked about how incredible play is and one of the best things that comes from play.
Is the bar.
And that you build with your kids when you play, especially child lead play.
When they get to take the lead and you don’t have any purpose or final outcome that you have planned.
You just let the kids take the lead and so that’s child blood play and so.
One of the things that comes from that is.
It really builds.
Your relationship and your bond with your child.
It’s amazing it’s so worth doing, but I know as parents as adults that we can sometimes feel stuck, right?
We don’t know how to just do this imagination play.
We don’t know how to play pretend anymore.
We don’t know how to do cars and.
In all of those things, so I’m here today with some tips.
This episode was inspired by a podcast that I listened to Stephanie Gas show she was talking in it about giving individual time to each of her kids and how she just struggles.
Because she doesn’t know how to play with her.
Kids and I know that I’ve heard this before and so I just wanted to give you some tips on how to do it.
So my first tip on how to play with your kids is ask them for help.
Your kids will love it probably.
I can’t speak for every kid.
But most kids
Would love to be the expert and they are.
They are the play expert in your home and deferring to them and asking them.
I don’t know what my doll says.
What should my doll say?
Where where’s my car going or what animals should I be?
Those are all great questions and you.
Just ask your.
Kids and let them guide you. It will feel awkward, and that’s OK. Just keep doing it. The more you practice, the more you play, the better you’ll become at it and the more fun you will have, and it will be such a huge blessing to your relationship with your kids. So number one is, ask them for help. Tip #2.
Is from improv.
I was in theater in high school and we would play a lot of improv games.
There’s one where you just have to say yes to everything and that’s kind of the key to improv is not arguing with whatever situation you’ve been put into.
But just saying yes, so your partner says.
Oh, that’s not a spatula.
That’s a comb.
You say?
Oh yes, my mistake.
It is a comb and you start combing your hair with the spatula so you always just say yes, whatever this, whatever the situation.
So do the same thing with your kids.
You’re playing with dolls and they say.
No, ma’am.
See it’s it’s not a party they’re going to.
It’s a ball.
Oh my mistake, the ball.
And then you start talking about the ball.
Even if they were talking about a party earlier, it doesn’t matter.
Whatever they say in the moment.
Yes, yes sweetheart, you are right.
Yes, this is another way to build them.
Your relationship.
Their confidence and their enjoyment in the moment and in the play tip number.
Three just keep practicing, no matter how awkward it is, no matter how much you hate it.
Just keep playing everyday 5 minutes a day to start.
Build up to 10, maybe 15 depending on how many.
You have and how much time you have, but everyday devote a few minutes.
To just plain just keep practicing, commit to it and and just keep trying.
And the more you play, the more your imagination will grow and you will remember how to play.
And maybe you were never much of a player when you were a kid, and these skills can still.
Grow #4 is tide to that and it’s prioritized. The time time spent with your kids playing as.
So many benefits, whether it’s faith based play or just play.
I think that it glorifies God.
To see us simply enjoying our kids through play, he gave us our children and they are meant to be a blessing and we are meant to steward them.
Well, and science shows that play is so important to kids and their development and their brains that participating.
In that play is an act of worship, and so prioritize the time if not for yourself, and if not for your kids, for God as an act of stewardship and as an act of worship. So that’s tip number 45 when imagination.
Pretend play is difficult for you.
Maybe you can try creating.
Doing some kind of art that may be helpful.
Play-doh or painting or drawing or even coloring because that gives your hands something to do and it gives you a little bit more independence and you may not.
Need to be quite as interactive as you would be in.
Up or playing with animals or something like.
That, but I’m not talking about doing a craft together or some kind of project with a specific outcome or with a specific idea of what your kids should have done.
At the end, I just mean process art, putting things out and letting.
Each of you just go with the flow.
And see what happens.
Maybe you have inspiration.
Maybe you don’t.
Either way, that’s fine, but when we give kids a craft and tell them this is what’s expected of you, that loses important elements of play and it puts pressure and stress, even if it seems fun.
And if they act like they’re enjoying.
There is still pressure and stress to have a particular outcome and am I doing it right where just process art is a very freeing thing where we get to practice the creativity that is a reflection of God, creativity and so just put out materials.
And and craft and coloring from like a coloring book is so therapeutic for me sometimes.
And it can just be a great time to comment on.
I love the shade of blue that you chose or that is a really lovely design.
You put on her dress but not correcting.
Not probably not even talking about staying in the lines.
You can talk about perseverance you can.
Talk about patience.
But we want.
To leave out expectations and we want to invite kids just into creativity and and sharing in that creative moment together.
6 Take a tip from Elsa and just let it go.
Your kids love you.
And playing with your kids.
Is an incredibly safe place to be silly, so let it go.
Just try to have fun.
Try to think about things that make your kids laugh and how could you enjoy it if you knew what you were doing, what would that look like?
Pretend you know what you’re doing and just let go.
Of your own expectations of what the time should look like, how you should be feeling, how I feel like this is supposed to be such a deep bonding moment.
How come I just feel bored?
Let it all go.
You might feel bored and that’s OK you.
In this moment are not playing for you, you’re playing for your kids and you’re playing to worship the Lord.
So let it go.
Let go of your expectations.
Let go of the feelings like you’re.
Doing it wrong.
Which as an in ear gram one I get it.
I want to be right.
I want to do it right even if it’s play but just just enjoy.
Just try to enjoy.
Just try to watch your kids enjoy and next put on.
Some good music.
It doesn’t have to always be worship.
Worship is amazing music, but sometimes we need something different and you can pull out some of your favorite songs from childhood we love Caspar Babypants in our house and just put on some fun.
Music, even if it’s just in the background to kind of loosen you up, have a dance party and just uhm, start to let loose a little bit.
That way maybe you need some music that you listen to in middle school dances to really get you going.
Whatever it is, hype yourself up with some good music.
My last tip is pray the Holy Spirit will come alongside you and enter in to this moment when you are trying to serve God by playing with your kids.
That is a whole.
Really moment and it is something that God wants to equip you to be able to do with his grace and his love and his provision.
And and I think the fullness of life that Jesus came for us to have and so pray ask God.
To help you enjoy the moments that you are sharing.
With your kids.
See asteas 11/8 a just. The first part says.
However many years, anyone may live, let them enjoy them all.
It doesn’t say that we should only enjoy our childhood years.
No, God wants us to enjoy all of them.
Jesus came to give us fullness of life and I believe playing with your kids.
Is one of those things that we are meant to enjoy.
You may not enjoy all of it and you may.
Not enjoy it at first.
But I think it is something we can learn to enjoy and that the Holy Spirit will come alongside us and equip us to enjoy this opportunity to spend with our kids.
So Mamas, there are my tips.
If you have other tips on how you have learned.
To play with your kids, I would love to hear about them.
If you have a story of not knowing how to play with your kids and working through that, please send me an email at joy at created to play com.
I’d love to hear your story and know more about how you.
Are playing with your kids so Mama’s on behalf of God. Thank you for loving and playing with his kids by Mama.
