Finding the Perfect “Play Time” Balance with Kids
We just welcomed our third baby to the family…but in reality, I’m living in a house with four kids 24/7. And on my best days, I’m acting as the fifth.
My husband takes the cake when it comes to the way he plays with our girls (and one day, boy…once we’re passed the newborn sleep-all-day stage). Hide-and-seek, tag, monsters: you name it. He’s perfected it. He gets down on the floor and really PLAYS with the girls and he gets credit for most of the giggles that flow through our home.
I can’t speak for all parents, but we’re always after that perfect balance for our kids. And what does that look like? A mix of fun activities outside of the house, quiet time that allows for individual play and family fun!
Activities Outside of the Home
The girls attend school and have since they each turned 2-years-old. They absolutely love the socialization aspect and I think it’s been huge for their growth. In addition to school, they each do one activity a season. Right now, Bauer is in gymnastics and Kingsley is in ballet. In the past, we’ve done soccer and swim team as well! I think extracurricular activities are great, but we could easily jam pack our calendar if we didn’t set limits.
Individual + Imaginative Play
Before Bauer was born I worked at a Fortune 50 company as a speechwriter. I had the incredible opportunity to follow our CEO around and something he said about children stuck with me. He casually mentioned once that my generation doesn’t allow children the chance to get bored. We’re packing their schedules with too much, and as a result aren’t allowing them to use their imagination.
MIND BLOWN. And ever since, I’ve made it a point to have time “scheduled” where we stay home and I ignore the girls…. for lack of a better word…to allow them to entertain themselves and really play.
Family Fun
And then the final piece of the play puzzle: family time. We don’t want our girls to just see us as their meal-ticket or ride to school. We want to make memories with them. I read something the other day that really hit home. It said:
Children don’t say, “I had a hard day, can we talk?” They say, “will you come play with me?”
(via @the_sassy_realist)
Holy truth bomb! It’s so important for moms and dads to “grow down” every now and then and play princesses and build forts. The girls are in a super hero phase which Kelly is full-on embracing. You can imagine his excitement when we received the Transforming Batmobile! The girls are also enjoying the influx of baby toys coming our way with their little brother’s arrival!
Walmart’s Let’s Be Kids Event
With all that said: feeling inspired to PLAY with your kids? The Fisher-Price Let’s Be Kids Pop Up event at Walmart checks all the boxes for a fun weekend activity. Ride a giant puppy, dance with a toy sloth, be Batman with the help of VR (10 bucks says this is where Kelly parks himself) and so much more!
Admission is free – so if you’re an Atlanta-local, join us this weekend (Sept. 27-28) at the Buford Walmart on Sardis Church Rd from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. We’ll be there Saturday and would LOVE to see you. Word on the street is there’s a Little People corn maze and dance floor with the Linkimals! You know you’re a parent when you get all those references! Check HERE to see if the Fisher-Price Let’s Be Kids Pop Up is coming to your hometown!
Shop the Toys
Thank you, Fisher-Price at Walmart, for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.