365 days project 2. Day 44. The guide to playing with a child

   Not everybody meets kids on a daily basis. So not everybody knows how to play with them. But at some point we all meet the little ones. And then some of us freak out and don't know how to react while others seem like they have it in them to just know what to do. 

   I always found it so easy to approach a child and enter his world, play with him, understand him and make myself understood. But not everybody is like this. Some have no idea how to react in order not to harm the child or not to upset the parent. They don't know what is allowed and what isn't. So they seclude themselves in a corner where the child doesn't go and observe him attentively without interacting. And that's alright as long as the observation ends at some point and you let yourself be a child again and play with that child. 

What to do when you know nothing about kids and how to play with them?

1. Ask the parent. No, that doesn't make you look stupid. It means you want to know the child properly. 

2. Observe what the others do and do the same. It's not as difficult as it seems, I promise!

3. Let the child lead and you just follow. Do what the child does. Mirror him and he will be very happy. And when you can't understand what he's saying (and it's not a question) just say "yes, that's right" :) He wants to feel accepted and valued so this way you are doing that for him. Also maybe ask the parent what he said just to make sure you get the right meaning :)

4. Be a child again and do what you used to do when you were little. Kids are still the way they used to be :)

5. Try to guess what he wants and give him options in questions: "Do you want to play with the ball?" "Do you want to play in the sand?" The child will lead you and help you understand what he wants :)

6. It's ok to hug him or kiss him. He's not going to break. A child usually loves affection. But if you want to make sure, observe how he reacts to others being loving with him.

7. Just let go all your fears and enjoy the utter happiness playing with a child brings. It will make you forget about all your problems and help you reconnect with your inner child. It's like therapy :) Child therapy! :)