Christmas is generally associated with the time of gifts, toys and material desires. Children eagerly await the arrival of Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men, and parents go out of their way to please them and find that perfect toy that makes them happy.
But amid the maelstrom of gifts, meals and plans, sometimes we forget what is really important: the best toys for our children are Mom and Dad ; both now at Christmas, and during the rest of the year.
The importance of playing with our children
A few years ago, Famosa’s Christmas campaign hit us emotionally with a shocking spot that reminded us of the importance of playing with our children before they grow up and it is they who stop looking for us.
It’s true. Children grow up very fast and parents are too busy to play with them, spend time together or even connect daily through small gestures that would make us all happier.
They love to be with us, they enjoy when we participate in their games, when we pay attention to them with our five senses and when we forget about the adult world and enter their magical world and illusion .
On the other hand, the reality that we are living has radically changed our way of relating to others and our leisure time. Now children no longer play as much with other children as they used to, and in many cases their social relationships are limited to the school environment. This makes it more necessary than ever to play with our children, spend time with them and make the most of those family moments.
But what does it mean to “play” with our children?
There are parents who confess that they do not enjoy playing with their children, and even do not know how to do it. And it is not always easy to become a child and get carried away by fantasy. But playing does not just mean throwing ourselves to the ground to drive cars or dolls , or disguise ourselves as Indians and cowboys.
“Playing” may involve spending time drawing together, doing crafts, or discussing the movie we just watched as a family. “Playing” can also mean going on an excursion or a family trip, visiting a museum or enjoying a meal with our children without interruptions or screens in between.
“Playing” is also reading a bedtime story, dancing together, inventing a secret language, having a pillow fight or a tickle fight, going out on a bike ride, taking a walk in nature, playing a soccer game …
So, let’s take advantage of this Christmas to create lasting memories in our children’s childhood , and then continue to keep it as a New Year’s resolution. We create complicit moments that time is not able to erase, and that strengthen our ties now and forever.
Photos | iStock, Pexels
In Babies and More | Remember that the best Christmas gift for your children is you
