This is going to come as a shock.. I HATE to play. Well, I hate imaginary play. I struggle to pretend. I lose focus quickly. I get bored so. darn. fast. When I hear her say "Mom, play with me" I cringe. Anxiety wells up. Yet, I do it everyday... or at least I try. The teacher in me knows just how important pretend play is for children. I know pretend play offers real-life application, exposure to problem-solving skills, modeling how to handle emotions, and introduction to educational concepts they will later use. But guys... ugh, it is just the worst. It just does not come naturally to me. If I am being honest, I engage in a little pretend play with S. It's like eating the lima beans on my plate... I just don't. My extent for pretend play with S is tea time and blocks/magnet tiles. Those are about as imaginative as I can get. I don't know if I forgot how to play or if I was a teacher to older students for so long that all I remember is a different kind of "play", but activities that involve "learning", and I say that so lightly because I realize now that PLAY is LEARNING for children, are my jam. I love getting down with a good sensory/art project, also! Oh, and don't forget books! Books are a passion of mine. I basically had my own library when I was a teacher. Put some paint, chalk, or play-doh in front of me and I can play for hours. It's the creative side of me. I love putting my rendition on things or ideas. I can turn all 3 of those into an academic lesson in 1/2 a second! Put a doll house/barn with some figures in front of me, and I freeze. What are the dolls/animals supposed to say or do? I have move them around and pretend? Yuck. But like I said before, I do it. I do it for S because I know those little eyes and that brain are so intently watching my every move. More than playing with that barn, she is seeing how I handle myself when asked to do something I don't love doing. She is learning more ways to play from the interactions with ME. Her vocabulary is ever-growing because of the fact that I take at the very least 10 minutes to engage in her play.
I have a secret... I LOVE playing imaginary games with my daughter because I get a peek into her world. I get to see life through her eyes, and it reminds me to not take life so seriously, even if in that moment.
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