Playful parenting -- what are YOUR favorite games? - Page 2

[Shannie77]

My DD is obsessed with "best friends", which means both her real-life friends, and anything that looks the same. When we are cleaning up we put all the "best friends" together. If I forget to mention "best friends" she usually doesn't want to tidy up but as soon as we start trying to put all the best friends together she happily helps.

We race to the carseat. This works really well when DH is around because I will say "hurry hurry lets surprise Daddy with how fast you get into your seat". Then I encourage DH to act floored when he sees her in there. To get her out we pretend there is a monster in the garage and race into the house - she likes playing games with monsters.

[justKate]

DD's not quite old enough yet to "get" games, but we do play "where's the baby?" to get her to join us in a room or stop what she's getting in to.

Mama and Daddy look everywhere (under couch cusions, etc.) looking for the baby saying "Where's the baby!?" "Monkey, where are you?!" in silly voices.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by sunnmama

Not on your list of situations, but playing Red Light, Green Light is hugely helpful for my toddler/preschoolers learning to follow directions and explore at a safe distance. At that age, they both responded much better to "RED LIGHT!" than to "Stop!", even if we weren't playing the game at the moment.

For emotions and self control, I would sometimes use stuffed animals and switch roles with dd when she was small and struggling. So, my stuffed animal would hit another in anger, for example, and hers would step in and help me make better choices. She liked that game, because she got to be important and wise

I LOVE these ideas. When we did Combat Training in theatre we used "Red" as our "stop" word because it gets your attention sooner than "stop" and it's short and to the point.

I also love the idea of role changing!


Someone mentioned Piggle Wiggle and it made me laugh. I loved those books!

[columbusmomma]

Subbing

[laangel]

Hi, I normally just browse, but I wanted to contribute to this thread.. and a fabulous thread it is!!
A few things that have worked for us:

When getting dressed putting clothes onto wrong body parts then looking confused 'hmmm that doesn't look right' and letting dd tell me what we've done wrong.

Putting away toys: DD (4) is convinced that her toys 'get real' at night and we talked about that if they weren't put away in the right place that they would be really scared and upset when they 'woke up'.

We have also been workmen and cranes that put away toys in that way, worked well too.. might try being a poor old cleaning up fairy that needs help, could be fun.

Eating dinner: whe she is eating really well I look at her plate and say in a very cross voice 'what have you done with that ... (sausage, those peas...)? Have you thrown them on the floor? (look on floor) are they in your pocket?... Carry on with this til she shows me that she's put it in her tummy.

Manners: When a please or thank you has been forgotten, I look around on the floor for something lost and say 'oh whoops you've lost your manners..' This ususally gets a giggle and the right word.

If I think of any more I'll put them up.
Loving this thread

[butterflyblue]

Butterfly Mommy - thanks for the "don't eat that" game, I used it yesterday to get my kids to drink their milk. Milk is so much more fun when Mommy doesn't want you to drink it.

[henny penny]

These are great!! Taking notes.....

[crowcaw]

For getting shoes on there is a shoe eating goat that lives in the house and it always seems to show up at shoe time so dds race it to get their shoes on; this game lasted at least a year. For coats and hats, I've seen mice and other small animals crawl into them and they need to reach in to get them out. For many tasks that they are able to do themselves, I tell dds not to do them because it's my job and then I become idignant that they're taking my jobs away and complain that I'm going to have nothing left to do other than sit around and eat bonbons. There's a monster that follows our car around everywhere and is tired of walking so it's always trying to get in dds carseats. Toothbrushing is either repeated checks for the cavity monster then they need to chase around their mouths or, if they're not feeling willing about brushing, I become the dentist and chat with them like the dentist does while I'm brushing their teeth. Then they get a big imaginary balloon. When it's time for hairbrushing, dds are princesses and I am awaiting their instructions as to the do they want. Giving instructions by talking gibberish and gesturing. When we're out and a dd is tired and barely holding it together, the adult becomes a lost kitten/puppy that needs help finding their way. Lots of pretending we're different people/animals to get through things. Those are the persistent ones that I can think of. It's surprising to me how long some of these games have been going on and they're still effective. And there's variable little things most days too.

[HeatherAtHome]

This have worked well with my niece. I lived with her the year she was 2. She was a late talker but loved to play imaginary games.

Get on the chair before the alligator gets you! When it's time to eat and she's slow getting to the table. "Quick! There's an alligator behind you! He's coming! Hop up on your chair!" She would get a twinkle in her eye and run for the chair. Usually I added in a "Lift you feet up! He's going to bite your toes!" just for the fun of it.

Is that Binoo?! She went through a phase where she loved toupie and binoo. (Who wouldn't love binoo, he's so cute!) I usually did this when we were in the car going somewhere and she started to fuss or if we were waiting in a parking lot for someone making a quick run into a store. "Is that Binoo?! Up there! On that building! No, over there, in that car! Look! Now he's sliding down the lamppost!" She would even get into it and tilt her head to one side with hand to ear like "Did you hear that? He's on the roof of our car!" (She was non verbal at this point, but great at charades! )

A Ferocious Beast! Sometimes we would pretend that the little fluffy harmless dog was a "ferocious beast". (Wording from Maggie and the ferocious beast) "no, we can't go in the living room to play with toys, the ferocious beast is in there!" Useful when it's time to go to bed etc.None of this was used to scare her, but to make everything fun. She loved it. "Quick, pick up your toys before the Ferocious Beast eats them!" Seriously, sometimes the dog would chew on them so it was a legitimate fear.

[Cheshire]

When my son was smaller he always had a hard time settling down to sleep. He liked it when we would sing to him but sometimes even the singing wasn't enough. I learned that if I sang one of his favorite songs but added something silly in the place of the regular lyrics he would notice and tell me to sing it right. So, I'd start over and sing the first verse right and then change up something in the second verse. Again, he'd notice and tell me to sing it right. Many times he'd giggle about it and I'd say "oh, that's not right, what should it be" and he'd tell me. After a couple of times through the song he was fast asleep. It was just enough to get him to focus on the song, listen to the words and turn off whatever was racing away in his head.

[jewelsJZ]

When dd was two she hated for me to brush her teeth so I would say the teeth were different colors, "Oh, look I found a purple one! Oh my goodness, theres an orange one in there!!!" She thought this was hilarious. With my son, for the same issue, I'd make a big deal out of how white and shiny his teeth were, "WOW, look at those TEETH! The dentist is going to be SOOOO happy when she sees how SHINY your teeth are!!" I did this every single time I brushed their teeth for many, many months. They laughed every time.

My sister sings rap songs in an opera voice when her kids won't get up in the morning for school so I tried this with just some little songs from a kids c.d. that my kids like and they thought it was hilarious.

My dd totally loves the "Don't you get on the potty/put on your shoes/etc." Then feign surprise, "I can't believe you did that! I'm shocked!" Got that idea from Lynne right here in MDC. Thanks Lynne!

We sing a lot, put words to the tune of some other song that they like. I can't think of any right now but one song that works well with it's own words is, "I like to move it, move it" from Madagascar. I sing that a lot when I am trying to get them into shoes and coats and then out the door.

Oh, one more. When they won't get out of the tub, I take their towels and put them on my head and then run away. They shriek, "THat's MY towel, come back here, Mommy!"

[wrappedupmama]

Today my 4 year old DD was starting to feel overwhelmed and throw a fit. I said "wait a minute come here" then proceeded to "erase" her face. "Let me see, those eyes aren't right, let me wipe those off. And that mouth, cheeks, forehead, etc." Then I proceeded to put on "new eyes, etc." until I said "okay here look" and took her to the mirror to show her the "new better and happy" face I put on her. It was much better than having a time out for the screaming fit that was going to ensue if I didn't diffuse the situation somehow.

[maeby]

ds always protests putting on a diaper after naked time or bath time. so i say "can you somersault onto the diaper and land your butt right on it?" and he will do that and then hold still while i strap it on!

[readytobedone]

i think i am badly in need of this thread! i've gotten so boring and just order DD around all the time...this playful parenting thing seems like a nice way to keep us both in a better mood!

[April K]

I love all of these ideas! Im not nearly as creative as all of you! Thank you so much!

subbing!

[jewelsJZ]

The whining and screaming in frustration here at our house has reached an all time high with my 3 and 5 year olds. I can't take it anymore. Here's what I came up with:
I told them today that from now on Mommy does not respond to screaming or whining. If you need help you ask in a nice voice, a pirate voice, a Southern accent, a British accent, like Scooby Doo, Dr. Doofenshmirtz the evil scientist, or whatever, I will respond. But if you scream or whine, I will not.
Have repeated this several times today and it has stopped whining/screaming on the spot. I've ignored all screaming and whining unless there was a safety issue, like the baby was going to climb up the stairs or something.

I am also totally using that shoe-eating goat thing that one of you suggested the next time they won't put their shoes on. That's hilarious.

[April K]

Originally Posted by jewelsJZ

If you need help you ask in a nice voice, a pirate voice, a Southern accent, a British accent, like Scooby Doo, Dr. Doofenshmirtz the evil scientist, or whatever, I will respond. But if you scream or whine, I will not.

I love this... made me laugh, but Im sure it works well! I love getting ideas from all of you creative mommas!

[Paeta16]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this post

When dd was two she hated for me to brush her teeth so I would say the teeth were different colors, "Oh, look I found a purple one! Oh my goodness, theres an orange one in there!!!" She thought this was hilarious. With my son, for the same issue, I'd make a big deal out of how white and shiny his teeth were, "WOW, look at those TEETH! The dentist is going to be SOOOO happy when she sees how SHINY your teeth are!!" I did this every single time I brushed their teeth for many, many months. They laughed every time.

I am totally going to use this tomorrow with DD!

Some of the games we play have been mentioned but here goes:

1. Clothes on different body parts of hers or mine. Sometimes I'll put her sock on my head or even her sock on my foot. She'll giggle and say that is MY sock or that doesn't go there and then let me put it on her.

2. The tickle monster. Oh no...you don't want to do XYZ? I think that means the tickle monster is going to get you now! Gets her laughing and then usually she'll at least help me do what it is I want her to do.

3. If she wants a toy in bed that I feel is too hard or too small or whatever. I put the toy on her dresser across from her crib and tell her that he will wait for her there until morning. She starts pretending to tuck him into his new bed and kisses him goodnight, etc.

4.She has about ten stuffed animals that she likes to sleep with and to get her to actually go to bed, each one of them "kisses" her good night in its own way...the dog gives her a slurpy sounding lick, the bunny hops onto her head, Pooh bear gives her sticky honey kisses, etc.

[BigC]

Originally Posted by Kivgaen

Good barbie / bad barbie this game works well with DD -- take two barbies, and make them argue with each other about the job that I want DD to do (like, make her bed, for example, or get dressed by herself, etc.) Good barbie says "she's 3 already! you just watch -- she can do it all by herself"). Bad barbie says "3! bah! She can't do that at 3... I don't believe it. No way!") etc.

I've been using this on my 4 year old son. Instead of using barbies I use my hands as puppets. It works like a charm. Great idea, thanks.

[blizzard_babe]

A younger age target, but we play a game with DS (almost 21mos) when he's kicking and wiggling during a diaper change. We'll tell him to "KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK!" and he'll kick like crazy, and then we say, "STOP!" and he stops. Later rinse repeat a few times, then say "STOP!" and change the diaper.