Five Minutes Of Play Can Make A Big Difference In Your Relationship

"An hour of play reveals character more than a year of conversation"
Plato

Kids world is all about play. Fun. Joy.


FIVE MORE MINUTES WITH TODD:

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground. "That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide. "He's a fine looking boy," the man said. "That's my son on the swing in the blue sweater." Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son.
"What do you say we go, Todd?"

Todd pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes."

The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content.
Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son. "Time to go now?"

Again Todd pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes." The man smiled and said, "Okay."

"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.

The man smiled and then said, "My older son Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Todd.

"He thinks he has five more minutes to swing. The truth is . . . I get five more minutes to watch him play." Author unknown

Observations:

1. Play time reveals more truth about the child because he is totally engaged in it.
2. Kids are uninhibited during the course of play.
3. They never get tired playing.
4. The kid's attention is at all time high during play.
5. After the play , parents can actually tell all they want to say and the kids will listen. (Respect begets respect)

Having fun is the key to unlocking a child's learning behavior. During playtime, kids learn a lot of things like: instructions, rules, fairness, team work, enemies, time's up etc...

But is it always play time? No. The key is play with purpose. When you learn to use the time allocated for play to learn, then you get maximum learning results.

Use all possible means to teach God's word, faith and character.

Deut. 6:6,7 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Next time you want to engage your kids, learn to play.