Creating Play Every Day

Has this exchange ever happened in your house?

Adorable child: Will you play with me?
Parent: Oh, sweetheart, not right now, I've got some work to do. Maybe later?
Adorable child: Okay!

...Later...

Adorable child: Hey, wanna play?
Parent: Sure, honey, maybe in a bit. I have to finish this up first.
Adorable child: All right.

...In a bit...

Adorable child: Now can you play with me?
Parent: You know, maybe tomorrow, because it's getting late and it's almost bedtime! Tomorrow we will, okay?

But what happens when it's tomorrow? I know these exact conversations have been heard in our house any number of times, and when tomorrow finally arrives...it doesn't usually end much differently than the day before.

That's not to say my child is neglected and never has her mom or dad to play with her. Believe me, I've served my time playing Barbies on the bedroom floor, organized craft projects on our kitchen table, read endless amounts of books, and shared time watching a family movie or two. I also firmly believe that kids need to learn how to play independently and with other kids. If my daughter only ever had myself or her dad to play with she would be driving more than just us nuts.

But because I work out of the home full time, it sometimes feels like the few moments of play I do get in during a week aren't enough. Yes, I'm sure some of this is that dreaded "mommy guilt", but at the same time, I know how easily I can prioritize things like cooking dinner, cleaning my floors, folding laundry, or even social media (hello, Facebook and Pinterest!) over playing with or including my daughter.

So, as the new year rolled around, I made myself a few promises. Less screen time for all (especially me), more playing, and finding new ways to spend time with my daughter, even if it isn't helping her work out the drama between Barbie, Ken, and the new girl in town, Tinkerbell.

And while blogging about it all might seem vaguely counterintuitive (you know, what with the less screen time and trying to make myself more available to my child), I couldn't help but think I'm not the only mom who has this problem, working out of the home or not. This might be a way to connect with other mothers (and fathers!), to share ideas, and to build a community of parents who want to create homes where play and building connections with their kids is more than just a once in a while kind of thing, but an intrinsic part of the every day.

If you'd like to learn a little bit more about me, check out the "About the Mama" page, here, and my more broadly subjected blog, here.