Playing = Healing and Meeting Old and New Friends!!!

 Well Hello!!!  This is an old friend and a new friend!  Amy Levy and I have supported each other for a loooonnnngggg time!!!!  Her friend decided to go on vacation with everyone and bring them to Florida!!!!  AND we decided that getting together with 3 mommas and 17 kiddos sounded like fun :)

 Look at all of those wonderful faces!!!!!!  TOO MUCH CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 Michael was a bit on the warm side.  BUT he did manage to amaze us all!!!  So if you haven't heard- he pulled off his shoe!  His shoe has velcro straps- and he managed to undo them, keep them separated while he got it off!  I was pretty blown away.

As if that wasn't enough - he decided to pull himself out of the stroller on his own- used the end of the picnic table and just stand up like it was no big deal!!!!!!!!!!!!  WOW OH WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I then helped him use the foot rest on his stroller to sit back down when he got tired.  He went back and forth as if he had been doing it on his own for years!  OH MY HEART!!!!  Then our pastor talked about Jesus healing the crippled man in church....and I about lost it.  My little man God is working big things in your life- just glad I get to be here to witness it!!!  :) 

 So here is part of our Empowered To Connect - Train the Trainer course learning.  PLAY TIME!!!!

 What?  YES PLAY TIME!!!!!  Now I know that some people think that things should be all about learning, and learning is important, but the "power of play" is actually one of the best "vehicles" to healing.  So let's get PLAYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 So here is something to help you get started!  There are many different types of play.  You mean you haven't ever thought of it before?  Yea, me either.  But there are! 

 I am just going to list a few....to get you thinking about what type of play you like best?

The director (you enjoy organizing the play as a part of your play).  My older brother was this way.  He loved making sure everyone got to play basketball.  That the teams were equal.  Then he would play, but always supported everyone. 

The storyteller.  The one who loves to narrate it all.  The one who can help you enter into imagination station land!  Great people to entertain you!  I love doing this sometimes.  Hey, it comes in handy at camp while giving messages to the campers!  ;)

The competitor- the one that wants to compete!  They love any competition- any sport any where any time.  :)

 The joker - you know the one that always is playing jokes or telling jokes about something :).  That would be at least one of our kiddos! 

The kinesthetic- this person loves to move!!  They may love competitions, but not so much to win as just to move.  Dancers, swimmers, runners, hikers, bikers.....they just like to move around. 

The explorer- likes to try new things!  Take me to a park I haven't been to before, let's go hiking to find new trees, let's bake something from Pinterest, let's try a new place to eat.  Anything new is their flavor because they love to seek something different. 

 The collector- they love collecting things- start wars things, coca- cola things, lego sets, all super hero memorabilia, or go to every theme park in the world, or going to every zoo in the state, they like to collect memories of things they like or actual things. 

The artist/creator- they love to invent!  Crafts are not just a thing to them- it is an invention, a new creation and they take them seriously.  They keep them, and like to recreate all the time.  Drawing, painting, sculpting, building models- you name the art they love it!  Music is also a huge play tool for them. 

 So what is our Play personality?  What is our children's play personality?  How can you CONNECT THROUGH PLAY???? 

You are scared you say?  Because well after all you are an adult of a fortune 500 company and playing with your child....seems......childish?  OK so take it easy- breathe....it will  be ok- promise! 

 Challenge yourself!  Take a timer- talk to your cutie and say ok.  I have 10 minutes and we can do whatever YOU want to do in that time.  (start small then work your way up).  Maybe they will ask you to cuddle with them - that is a BONUS!!!  Maybe they will bring out the legos- they get lost in that with them!  Maybe they will bring out the craft stuff.  Maybe they will play a song they really love and want you to dance- then dance! 

 Let your child lead!  Come on- it will be fun, and as they say on Veggie Tales- it's for the kids!!!!

So LET GO!  Remember how it was to play as a child?  Oh dear.....you don't??  OK so that in and of itself can actually be a problem.  According to new studies- WE ALL NEED TO PLAY!!!!!!!  AS IN EVERYONE NEEDS TO PLAY!!!!!  IN FACT big corporates are saying that the reason their staff don't do well at thinking outside the box is because they can NO LONGER PLAY :(.  How very sad!

 No really this is sad!!!  I mean look at these boys they have known each other all of a few minutes and they are pretending with each other- I am taking the "bad guy" to "jail".  People- ENJOY PLAY!!!!!! 

If you have hurting kiddos or not- PLAY WILL HELP YOU TO CONNECT WITH THEM!!!!!

I am pretty sure that Jesus had some amazing play time!  I mean just look at his disciples and his relationship.  Come on- walking on water again Jesus?  Well Peter - come play with me ;).  Or hey everyone we are going to feed everyone again- Jesus you are always yanking our chains....we don't have any food.  Here He goes again guys.  Come on children scatter- Jesus....wait.....Jesus wanted to play with the children?  Talk to those no one else at the playground would talk to?  WHAT?  YES HE DID!!!  HIS whole life was about Play- because when it comes down to it  play is about showing Love! 

 Yep, when our kiddos play together, when we play with them, when we interact with others in a playful manner- WE SHOW LOVE!  We say come one let's imagine, let's share stories, let's compete, let's hike, let's organize a committee, let's ....... TOGETHER!  :) 

So - want to help your child heal?  Want to connect with your child?  Get to it!  GO PLAY!