Your Independent Play Questions, Answered

My new book But I’m Bored is available now... Order Now These questions come from parents who have clearly thought about play, know that it matters, and who are doing a lot. What strikes me most is that the questions almost always carry a little shame underneath them. Like the parent asking is afraid they’ve already gotten it wrong somehow. I need you guys to know something SO IMPORTANT. You can always start where you are and tweak things a little. You don’t have to start over or reinvent the wheel. And also? Don’t skip this- I am someone who studies this stuff, lives for this stuff, and I still have questions, huge challenges, and lots of moments where I, too, question whether I am getting it wrong. There are no right answers. My goal for this community is not, will never be, to “fix” anyone’s parenting. My goal is to empower you to feel like your most competent, capable self- even when things go off the rails. Here are a few questions that keep coming in on repeat… “My four-year-old is obsessed with a TV show. How do I turn that into real play?” This question makes me a little giddy (I am nerdy like that) because you already know what your child loves. You know what they talk about, what they act out in the car, what they beg to watch one more episode of. And that’s a map that will lead you to lots of independent play. When kids are deep in a show, they know the characters, and they know the rules of that world. All you have to do is help them bring that world off the screen and into their hands. Here’s how: Upgrade to read the full post. Inside this post: What to do when your child walks past every invitation you set up How to use what your kid is already obsessed with to spark real play How to play with kids so they learn to play on their own How to manage when “I can’t” is getting in the way What to do when your child is scared to get it wrong Read more

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Your Independent Play Questions, Answered