A Little Bit of Down Time!

Children need time to interact with adults and to play with other children, but they also need time on their own during the day. Whilst they crave the love and attention of their parents and indeed grandparents and feel loved and special when they share games and activities together, it is also important to give them some space and let them develop their own sense of self through solitary play. This can be in the form of some daily "down time" where they might retreat to their bedroom at a certain point every day. You can build time into your daily routine, perhaps after lunch. Select some books together for your child to look through and encourage them to sit on their beds to read them. Or perhaps encourage some peaceful play time with a few jigsaw puzzles and some gentle music. Or, just explain they will have some time to play on their own in the room, doing anything they like at all. Either way, make sure you are not at the centre of the activities, make sure your child is free and alone, even if it is just for a short time. It's important to allow your children to develop skills to amuse themselves, and, its great to have a bit of down time your self!