There I was trying to control how my kids were having fun.  Dictating these children’s games.  And they were having none of that.  Has this happened to you?  It happens to me more than I care to admit.

I’ll tell them how to have fun, surely I’m the one that knows!?!?  Sometimes I wonder if parenting is really about reaching deep down inside of us to reconnect with the child we once were, and our children are the catalyst for that connection.

My tip?  Be less like me.  Be less controlling.  Be more open to the randomness of children and their ideas.  It still makes no sense to me why I had to cover my eyes and spin around for the recent game of Monkey in the Mulch, but it doesn’t have to.  It does to them, and I came to realize that they are getting far more out of these games then burning off energy.  They are learning negotiation, problem solving and how to be empowered.  I’m re-learning how to play like a kid again.

Tell us about your experiences playing children’s games!