Finding the way to want to play with your child.

What is the secret of a successful play time with your child? So many times we do it as an obligation.. You know you must spend some time with your small one but there are about million other interesting things you want to be doing..! Plus it gets so boring to build lego house every day for the last couple of years. Or play tea party.... makes you feel so silly after 5 minutes... You end up looking to escape after 10 minutes into the play. Awful. Makes you guilty, children gets bored. Day ends up in whining and complaining and you can wave goodbye to your wish of a peaceful atmosphere at home.. I had struggles at the very beginning of my motherhood. It felt so unnatural to get down on my knees and play, pretend, teach... It was an awful feeling. It turned into sadness, I questioned my love for my child and I was drifting away towards lonely and cold depression.. One day I was making a hoodie for my girl (my passion for crafting has no end!) and she got very curious about all the little fabric pieces around. I end up cutting for her different shapes from my fabrics, matching buttons with colours, I asked her to point out colours she wants for her hoodie and we spent a lovely hour or two playing with fabrics and designing her hoodie.

I realised that a child doesn't care what games or activities you play with them, they just want to do ANYTHING as long as it's together with you.

Since then I have been choosing activities for my girls that would interest me. Some new art/science projects I haven't seen as a child (like milk painting) which makes me surprised (!) or I remember something I have done or made as a child which is naturally dragging me back just for one more coin rubbing... Those very quick projects which makes me say - "wow! I didn't know that..." These little things gave me practise how to play with my girls. Playing doesn't need to be childish, doesn't need to be girly. It just have to be interesting for you and for kids. It took us 2 years to fully bond when it comes to playing together. But it was the best bonding experience EVER! Now we are building 2 day science experiments. Making super messy "not for small kids" art sessions and girls loves it! When it comes to childish playing - they are doing it themselves. Playing tea parties and pretending princesses - it's their time. I am involved in these activities as much as turning their room into a fairy scene with secret bunkers and magic stones from bed to bed. Tea party is hosted by themselves and their magic teddies :) And it works just perfect. I have become a happy and creative Mammy and my girls are always ready to blow up our home with a new "volcano eruption" experiment :)