Playful & Empowering Parenting- How to Enjoy Every Moment with Your Child
by Therese Miu on 26/01/11 at 5:03 am
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Photography by Erlina Sinaga
As a parent I knew right away how important it is to have a strong relationship with my son. Making time for important things and raising my son with light-hearted parenting is my number #1 priority.
It starts with me.
As adults our days are filled with hard work, stress, and constant nagging obligations. Children are simply bursting with high energy & youthful exuberance that we as parents have lost as we progress on as adults.
It is crucial to make this journey of becoming child-like beings and seeing the world again through our children’s eye. If you are a parent now, the wonderful part is you get to experience this day by day & moment by moment.
This gem, in this blogpost, derives from my daily practice as a mom every day. I certainly have my days of being zoned in and being present and often times I have my ‘off days’. Yes I do have my off days just like you; however my GREATEST JOY is being part of his life so I make the most of it every day. My intention is that this post reminds me to be truly present with my son and to always enjoy every moment with him as he evolve through all stages of his life.
So my day begins with….
Jeroen and I waking up to each other. Some days we boldly share our dreams. Like today he shared his dream that he played with his sister and me & his dad were around. He said he was happy. I share my dreams with him also.
BUT
Some day we rush out of bed to make our favorite food.
Everyday is different.
One thing I noticed though is that we have such an incredible FUN time together. We wake up make breakfast, do art work, write, study shapes, and most of all we make time to play.
I love organizing different games for us to play.
Children teach us the very essence of ‘life itself’ that as adults we have forgotten.
Jeroen with his cousins
They teach us to be in the present moment.
No-where to go
No-where to be
but here N-O-W--in this magical moment we call “the present”
They continually teach us this gift.
I was reminded once that “When working with or parenting young children, we must remember to get on their level, literally. Get on your knees and look into their eyes, and connect with your tone, your gaze, your touch, and your intention.”
When you spend time with them, you encourage confidence and boost self-esteem.
Every experience with Jeroen has been mined from rich seams of joyful moments. Never forgetting that every moment with my son bonds us, creates us, makes us unfold and expand to loving connection as we both create an emotional strong bond with each other.
We have an incredible chance to grasp and make this soul-ful connection with our own children. I remind myself on my ‘off days’ that parenting should not be taken lightly.
Why EVERY MOMENT COUNTS….
Being in the moment is a creative force and it can melt every moment into sheer beatitude. Children overall are relaxed within the present and surrender to it wholeheartedly.
With No THOUGHTS about the
- past
- future
Being with them is to flow with such great power and in one direction and ONE DIRECTION ONLY– to the present moment. Moment with Jeroen is as immense as the wind and as deep as the ocean- beautiful, flowering, and the source of life. Any time you want to separate from the moment and move on to a different direction of flow–children will pull you into their world of bewilderment and wonder.
Every moment I am reminded is pure delight!!!
Jeroen painting with mommy
(I’m sure this is how YOU feel about your kids?) right 
PLAY PLAY PLAY
Jeroen’s world is based around PLAY. He loves being silly and goofy. His most recent obsessions are Bakugans, Power Rangers, and Ben 10s. He always asks me to play with him and I do because as I watch him play I am reminded ‘not to take things too seriously.’ He can PLAY for hours on ends which seems like seconds to him.
With children, remind yourself that It’s not about making sure they do their ABCs right from beginning to end or know their numbers from 1-100 it’s more than that.
It is about YOU and YOUR daily connection with them.
You develop your relationship with them when you are truly present with them by letting them go at their pace of learning and growth. We would never shove down food at someone’s throat yet how many times have we seen a parent force so much education on their children at such an early age.
It is important to build a sense of connectedness and play throughout their life.
Let their imaginations roam freely by doing art, music, sports, and any other activities your child seems to like and enjoy. Here’s a quick video he did with Ben 10
Dr. Lawrence Cohen shares in his book ‘playful parenting’ that, “Play-together with playful parenting-can be the long-sought bridge back to that deep emotional bond between parent and child. Playful parenting is a way to enter a child’s world, on the child’s terms, in order to foster closeness, confidence, and connection. When all is well in their world, play is an expansive vista where children are joyful, engaged, cooperative, and creative.”
Encourage your children to be free. Spark their inner interest and creativity. Be mindful of their likes and dislikes. Listen to them with attuned mind, body, and spirit. Teach them their very essence.
My PARTING WORDS…
You have to learn to understand that everything they do has a hidden purpose behind it and engaging playfully with your children helps builds confidence. You empower them every day through play and being truly present.
Children need parent’s unconditional love more than ever.
And how we treat them now will reverberate throughout their lifetime. Be so full in your loving.
Let your love for your child be expressed with no limits.
Love your children with all your heart joyously, ecstatically, intensely, & passionately.
This post is dedicated to my only son:
Jeroen, by the grace of your oceanic heart, I too begin to slowly understand to embrace the moment as my own and be wrapped around in it with each passing breath. Mommy & Daddy loves you.
Photography by Juan Campos
Any Thoughts about parenting? What did you learn today? What is your parenting style? I’d love to hear from you in the comment box below about your thoughts on parenting. Let’s get a conversation going. If you like this post PLEASE PLEASE MAKE sure to tweet it or share it to your family & friends on Facebook.
I thank You for stopping by today! Wishing you a wonderful day!
