My kids have great imaginations. They live in their imaginations and play make believe every chance they get.
They are best friends. They have inside jokes, secret languages, and games where only they know the rules.
They laugh, they cry, they fight, they make up. They are never angry at each other for long. They can't be.
They are each other's best playmates and play is what they do. I once heard that play is the child's work.
We take that very seriously around these parts. They live in their imaginations, and I am so glad. When they come home from school, we do homework and then PLAY. There are no extra curricular activities to get in the way. They have the whole world in front of them to explore.
Because someday, I won't be around and they will have only each other. The memories they make while playing are what will help to form these relationships that last forever.
They play together, they play alone, we play as a family. These are the moments that bond us like cement. These are the moments that we will always remember.
This post is part of the GoGo Squeez and Story Bleed Day of Play Blog Carnival. They are encouraging families to get out and play together this Saturday. I am planning on it, are you?
5 comments:
what a great post!
I can say with 100% honesty that my brothers and my sister and I played like this; outside, inside, made clubs, caves, hangouts...and because of it we are close to one another now in adulthood. We barely ever watched TV and I have actually started turning the TV off during the day to encourage Hannah to go play in her room with Connor. When they do it, they love it, they fight, they come out crying sometimes...but it's that chaos that I prefer over the TV watching and mindless laziness. Love this post; brings back so many happy childhood memories for me.
My girls get along and then they don't...what do you suggest for strengthening the bond between siblings? they seem to bicker a lot and really taunt each other and it makes me sad. My sister and I were not close at all growing up and that is hard for me to digest. We're close now, as adults, and I'm grateful but I do wish we had grown up that way. Thanks for sharing Kim....
Erica - it is one thing to bicker, it is another to taunt. I just don't allow it in my home. I had a very mean brother when I was a kid who teased me relentlessly and I swore I would never allow that.
I tell my kids they are eachother's best friends. If they taunt or tease, it is immediate time out. It is not a respectful behavior and if they can't be respectful they will sit alone.
My kids also don't have friends that live in the neighborhood, so if they want to play with someone, it is going to be eachother.
Good luck Mama!
Oh my this is lovely and important and one more time- lovely.
What you said about nurturing their relationship? Really struck me.
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