Everyday Play

As an Early Childhood Educator, the importance of play was drilled into my head in practically every class I had in college.  It was easy to incorporate into my classroom - role playing, centers, exploring the world outside, etc.  However, as a Mom, I am amazed at how often this critical component is pushed to the back of my brain.  I need to clean the house, do laundry, run errands, cook dinner, pay the bills.....and all the while my little boy approaches me intermittently with "Play, Mama" while batting his long eyelashes and holding up a toy car.  Too many times my response has been, "Mama can't play right now, baby, I'm busy."

Now, my son approaches me with, "Mama, play now, please?"  I am not sure if it's the fact he has added the "now, please" or that I see that he has really changed and grown in such a short period of time.  What am I thinking?  Play is his world.  How he learns, how he grows, and how I will teach him to be a good man.  I make a conscious effort to play with my son for a period of time every day - with no distractions.  No cell phone, no grocery list; just me and him.  It can't be a coincidence that when I give him my undivided attention and then have to tell him "Mama can't play right now, baby" he seems to understand and entertains himself.