Mommy Moments
Kids @ Play
By Melanie Lewis
Play is what kids do best. Play is how they explore and learn about the world around them. It behooves parents to make playtime as meaningful, positive and productive as possible. Think about all the toys and activities advertised for children and the appeal they have as educational opportunities. They meet several different aspects of growth; gross motor, fine motor, pincher grasp, hand-eye coordination, letter and number recognition and so on. Kids love to play and play is what makes learning fun. (By the way, for an excellent play date “Around Wellington,” check out the Playmobil Fun Park in Palm Beach Gardens. For just one dollar admission, your kids can work on those gross and fine motor skills all day, playing with those popular German-engineered toys).
Recently, a news report indicated that rough-housing with dad was a good opportunity for kids to learn to push the limits, but with an adult in a non-threatening way. It teaches kids when to stop, so that when they try to play rough with someone else, they know the limits. Way to go, dads!
Next, add another dynamic – another child. Enter into the world of unwelcome words. Words like ‘mine’ are taught to be replaced with “share” and “take turns.” As parents, it’s our job to encourage and help children work out the differences with appropriate language. We, the adults, help the child integrate with their peers in an acceptable manner. For some, the instinct to protect our child takes over and the adult leaves the room, but our brains need to take charge in situations, so that we model the appropriate behavior. It may take a while for this learning process in kids. As we see in the news it goes on into high school with responses to bullying.
The excitement of that first play date was electric. We soon learned that we put away our most treasured items, so coveted that our kids wouldn’t let another human touch them. I particularly enjoyed play dates as it was a social outlet for me as well. I learned that other moms have the same challenges of time, sleep and organization. It’s also a chance to swap some good recipes, tips and see different toys in action.
The ultimate in playtime disarray is the playground. Sometimes you’ll luck out and meet a familiar face, and if you’re lucky, you’ll remember their name. If the kids hit it off, you may want share phone numbers and enter it right into your phone. What do you do if things don’t go well? When the game of tag turns into a wrestling match? There’s a disagreement who’s turn on the swings? Or, worse, the unreasonable mommy lobs a big, “you don’t know how to discipline your kids” at you in front of the kids – (this really happened to me one time). There’s give and take with everything and these moments are the “teachable moments” that have become the buzzword. We all know that kids can be unable to channel their thoughts and feeling appropriately, but as adults we should. Events don’t always go smoothly or as planned. Someone throws a toy in the house and breaks something and they get time out. The little boy wets his pants and has to wear little girls pink underwear and pants home (thanks, Katheryn!) Or, poopey-face and demon is the moniker some other kids give your kid on the playground. Teach your kid to apologize and get over it. It’s about learning and playing together. It’s all a part of the chaos we call “growing up.”
Melanie Lewis is the mother of 2 boys ages 5 and 8. She is married and works part-time as Silpada representative and a weight loss consultant. She enjoys book club, and playing with her Blue-mitted Ragdoll, Percy and Golden Retriever, Rosie. She can be reached at melaniewlewis@yahoo.com.