A Sprinkling of Play

Sprinkle play throughout your day with ten play invitations - delivered to your inbox, free! Start whenever works for you.

Sprinkling play throughout the day is a simple way to bring more presence, delight and joy to your life with your family.

Play is top of my wishlist for families - I know firsthand what a difference it can make.

So I created A Sprinkling of Play.

I wanted it to

- be free, so that everyone can access the ideas

- be simple, so that time-poor parents can read about it in 3 minutes, and trial the ideas in 5 minutes

- have an extra layer of detail if any folk were wanting more - you can log in to the Course Classroom for the extra (audio) stories and inspiration.

You can sign up here: https://belyndasmith.com.au/co...

A Sprinkling of Play was named thanks to inspiration from Chiara Rosetti, an extraordinary Aware Parenting Instructor and play enthusiast; Chiara mentioned the importance of sprinkling play throughout the day at a workshop I attended with her and the lovely Helena Mooney (side note: I recorded a conversation with Helena all about supporting siblings with play, you can find it here). I loved Chiara's phrasing of 'a sprinkling of play'; hence the name of this workshop. Chiara is no longer with us, and although I didn't know her well, the ripple effect of her passion for play is felt in so many homes worldwide, including my own. It makes such a huge difference.

Every piece of emotional work you do... every reflection... every interaction you approach with curiousity and empathy... every time you consciously decide how you'd like to interact... it all makes a difference.

Perfection is not the aim. Connection is what we are seeking.

Noticing how you feel after play and what you see in your child can be useful. Are they more relaxed, more cooperative, more flexible? Do you feel more connected?

If they are using the games as a 'can-opener' for feelings, that's a great sign! 'Success' is measured by how safe they feel to share their world with us. If big feelings come up, offer empathy without trying to distract them, shushing them or changing their feelings, and see what happens afterwards.

This can be such a huge ask. Our buttons can feel pushed! Our kids wanting the 100th game of hide and seek can feel exhausting. Our need to NOT be doing Lego or bouncing on the trampoline for another game of horsey can feel overpowering. In reality, it's not our kids pushing our buttons when we are feeling stressed - it's actually all the emotional gunk we carry around with us.

The most impactful tip I have for parents is to build capacity for ourselves by finding someone who can listen well to our emotions.

Bringing our emotions out into the light, to be heard lovingly, means they lose their rigid grip on our behaviours.

Listening Partnerships are by far my favourite way to get this kind of support. You might like to hear the Tales from the Toolbox podcast episode (I co-host this podcast with four other Hand in Hand Parenting Instructors) on this topic. I offer a monthly Listening Circle - visit my website to find out more.

Here's a brief overview of the guidelines I enjoy following for Listening Partnerships - you might like to experiment with this tool with someone in your life, or look for a Listening Partner via the Aware Parenting Listening Partners Facebook page or in the Hand in Hand Parenting app. If you'd like to hear more, here's a podcast episode with the lovely Joss Goulden where I talk about the Power of Listening Partnerships.

Feeling heard is such a valuable way to build resilience and capacity for us busy parents.

For most of us, this is hard going. We live in a culture where tears are not welcomed. I invite you to experiment with welcoming them - your own and your child's, as much as you can, and see what happens.

Being intentional - about play, about laughter, and about tears - can be difficult when we are so busy. It's worth it, to stand back and reflect, and figure out some new directions and some problem solving. My Connection Admin download is another way to help you be intentional about moments of connection.

You can sign up for this FREE workshop, delivered in ten bite-sized emails over ten days, ANY TIME that works for you. You can re-register any time you feel the need for a little reminder! https://belyndasmith.com.au/co...

Thank you for all your care, efforts and big love for your family. I hope the ideas in A Sprinkling of Play bring you lots of nurturing, nourishing support as you do the messy, joyful, deeply fascinating and gorgeous work of parenting.