To make my time worth with my child (though it’s always worth it when you spend it with your children), I make the most out of it by doing what I can with whatever activity we are doing. Like now that my child is watching nursery rhymes from YouTube, we dance along and it serves as my exercise. Geez… I need all the exercise I can do. Even just this simple movements of swaying, raising hands and stomping feet would be helpful.
“If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands (2x). If you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.”
Repeat the above but change the ‘clap your hands’ with ‘stomp your feet’ then ‘shout hurray’. This is the version that I’ve known since childhood but so many other versions have been produced and streamed via YouTube.
I vary my movements and my voice so that the kid will be entertained. And I do a lot of funny things with my head and facial expressions. And I mimic that of a child. My child would giggle and have fun. She also attempts to mimic my movements and facial expressions. My other children would join us if they see the enjoyment.
Honestly, it was only recently that I began enjoying playing with the kids. Usually years ago, it was my husband who would play nonstop with the kids. But now, it is I who play with them. And wow! I am enjoying! Also, I like kissing my children and hugging them and doing all kinds of silly things to them.
Sometimes, one of the kids would cry and I tickle them even more. Then they would laugh and we would all laugh.
When I have important things to do (or it is best term to say, rush), I let my eldest play with my youngest so they will not bother me. They go to the neighbors and to the nearby playmates. After sometime they would come and when I am not done yet, I first let my youngest sleep then I continue with my task.
In the afternoon when I would take a break, we play again. Or go outside to rest our eyes. In the evening, I do away with the gadgets and I sing songs to my youngest just outside the house. “Twinkle twinkle little star… how I wonder what you are.”
I am amazed that my youngest already knows how to speak and even sing. “If yo api en u kno it cap yo hands…” With just some missed words and pronunciation. But at two, I bet this is already good. She also knows how to converse with others and she responds to questions with the right answers.
I hope that all parents will engage with their children and enjoy the parenthood. It would seem a disturbance but it isn’t because it’s very fulfilling. At the end of the day, you would feel good. You would feel happy because at the very least you have done something for your children.
Maybe, that is one perk of the pandemic. But of course, it is best if there is no pandemic at all but we still find time to play and be happy with our children.
Maybe next time, we don’t have to wait for any pandemic to happen in order for us to have good time with the beautiful kids of ours.
One thing I realized is that when you play with your child, you lessen the time that they hold their gadgets. And sometimes they would have a contented face and not look for gadget anymore when they feel happy with the attention. Well, they will still demand to play with cellphones but the time will be significantly reduced. I am trying my best to tell my sons that playing with the current games they have downloaded is dangerous if they aren’t guided. I monitor the games they play because who knows what apps they download. I encourage them to play instead with educational games or watch educational video clips. They watch aside from playing but what they watch on youtube are sometimes rated ___.
It’s quite a challenge, right? And with the demands of our responsibilities as adults we sometimes feel guilty of not guiding our young children.
Hope we all have a fruitful parenting. Good luck to all of us!
Writing while my child is on my lap,
FrieLincs
The version you know is better! First time knowing about that. I could hear the happy song from here. :)