Isn’t play childish? Isn’t it a waste of time? Isn’t play pointless? Patty addresses these three adult biases towards play and then shows you how play can actually help you become closer to your child.
By Kirsten Nottleson On Thanksgiving morning, my husband and I were both feeling a stressed trying to get the turkey, pie, cranberry relish, and salad ready to pack in the car. We were off to
Your clingy child won’t play independently? In this post, you’ll learn how play therapists help increase kids capacity for play – and how you can too at home. A parent I was working with once
Inside: What things can you do when a child says they are bored? We’ve all been there. In the middle of a holiday or a weekend or a long, rainy day and your child says
My son is diagnosed with sensory issues so getting dressed is a daily challenge for all the family. One morning, I wanted to take the kids out for a walk, so we could have some
Dear Hand in Hand, Please help. My 4-year-old son has had a turbulent time at pre-school and has become very aggressive. I am seeing this as an issue around separation. We have increased Special Time,
We’ve all read research and articles promoting play, but play is more than independent play or playing with siblings or friends. For sure, kids benefit from those ways to play, but playing with parents and
It’s a Monday morning, everyone is grumpy, and your child does not want to get out of bed. “You’re so mean!” your child shouts as you tell her it’s time to get up. “I hate
As they move from play dough to playground and from dress up to dodgeball, it may seem like our children spend their whole day playing. And that’s great. But some of the best ways to
They say “choose your battles wisely,” and getting teeth brushed in most houses is one many of us struggle with. But with up to 530 million children with poor dental health worldwide, according to the
One summer day I was playing outside with a four-year old while his parents were busy. It was the first time that we had played together, so I didn’t know him well, but he was
When my daughter was around 4 or 5, she had a friend over for a playdate. The girls were playing very well for a while until they pulled out the dress-up clothes. “I’m the
One day, we were traveling by car six about hours away from our home town. I got food for the kids so they wouldn’t feel hungry during the ride, and they were soon tucking in.
Yesterday my 8-year-old daughter had a friend playing at our house all day. There were lots of arguments and power struggles over their play. It wasn’t going well. The other girl said that she wanted
Playlistening is an invaluable tool that helps a child through situations they feel powerless about, scared feelings and blocked fears. It usually works when there is some roleplay involved, like this story about a girl