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Home › Articles › Motherhood › Play is Not a Four-Letter Word

Play is Not a Four-Letter Word

Remembering the Importance of Playtime

By Lisa A. Goldstein

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If you've reached your limit, give yourself independent play time of an hour or less depending on the day or circumstances. This will allow you to recharge your batteries.

Shhhh!
Along the same vein is instituting regular "quiet time" activities in which each person does what she or he wants. That's what Christine Louise Hohlbaum, official stay-at-home mom expert for ClubMom and author of Diary of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff (iUniverse, Inc., 2003), does with her kids. She also recommends bringing in variation when you can, such as changing your name during pretend play. Using your imagination also comes in handy, such as imagining you're a Broadway actress singing her lines for the 10,000th show when you sing the same lullaby for the 10,000th time.

If all else fails, get a sitter. "Getting help is key," says Hohlbaum. "In former times, there was always an aunt, grandmother or housekeeper to entertain the kids. Today's world is different, but children's needs have remained the same." For just two hours, your child will have undivided attention while you find fulfillment in other ways, she adds. "When you return, you will be fresh and ready to give your child what he or she needs."

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