Parenting Through Play: Creative Strategies for Building Better Behavior, Deeper Connection, and Positive Communication

“Play is the essence of parenting,” argues family therapist Van Dusen in this innovative debut guide to helping parents connect with their kids. She explains that playtime activities, such as role-play and storytelling, help children express their emotions and make sense of their world, and offer parents insight into their children, enabling more effective communication. When her son once refused to leave a playdate, for example, she persuaded him to get in the car by pretending it was a train and shouting, “All aboard!” “You’d think I had performed a magic trick,” she says. “What I really did was speak my child’s language.” Acknowledging that play-based parenting doesn’t come naturally to everyone, she offers recommendations, like talking about tough situations through puppets or having kids draw a story about their feelings. Playing with kids doesn’t have to be exhausting for overwhelmed caretakers, she notes, suggesting such passive activities as watching children put on a performance or fashion show. She points to play as a powerful tool for emotional self-regulation and suggests playful solutions for managing meltdowns and tantrums, such as racing to the car when it’s time to leave the playground. Filled with creative suggestions and real-life examples, this is a boon for parents hoping to better communicate with their children. (May)