Just a simple reminder. Have fun with your child.

It seems too obvious but I believe it is important to understand the value of simply having fun with your child whenever possible.

How many times in your adult life do you have the opportunity to let loose, be someway ridiculous, use your imagination and have generally have fun? When do you give yourself the authority to rediscover the child within?

As an adult with responsibilities, we take ourselves quite seriously. Sometimes too much! The joy of having a child is that you can simply hang out with them in their world when it suits. They will certainly invite you into their world and welcome the opportunities to play together. Sometimes powerful memories are forged from these experiences.

How many times in your adult life do you have the opportunity to let loose?

As a child I have very vivid memories of dancing around in the kitchen with my grandmother who would wear a tea towel on her head. Crazy, yes on some levels, but I have such a vivid memory and no surprises, my grandmother was very special to me in my rearing years.

Funnily enough I do similar activities with my own grandchildren! So fun is infectious across generations!

The time you spend having fun does not need to be of any great length. In fact, short sharp moments of fun together can ease tension and it makes for a happier space all round. You create a lively, happy mood.

Whether you look for more formal fun such as organised games etc., the key is to ensure that laughter and childlike behaviour is for yourself and your child. A child simply loves you becoming part of their world even if it is only a moment in time, here and there.

I just loved visiting classrooms where the laughter and fun were evident by the teacher becoming one of the children. Of course, great respect grows from such experiences.  Children appreciate that you want to share in their world, no matter how different it is for the adult. They also value the fact that you have made the effort and that being childlike is acceptable to you and should be celebrated by all.

Simply have some fun. Make it spontaneous sometimes and be an opportunist. Notice those times when joining the child’s world is the best choice to make.