Splish-Splashing Our Way To Engagement
As a wise man (aka Chris) once told me, sometimes engagement is like going to the gym. Hurdle #1: Deciding to go to the gym. Hurdle #2: Deciding what to do once you get to the gym.
Parents can face similar obstacles when trying to engage with their child. Hurdle #1: Deciding to engage with your kids. Hurdle #2: Deciding how you will go about engaging with your kids.
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who works up the motivation to go to the gym, only to arrive and become overwhelmed by the plethora of machines and sweaty people. But hey, overcoming that first hurdle is the hardest part! Now that I’m at the gym, I am able to exercise to my heart’s content.
Just like my common gym experience, lots of parents are conquering that first hurdle by deciding to engage with their kids, but aren’t quite sure how to go about doing so. With so much competing information out there (How much screen time is too much screen time? Is this mobile distracting my kid?), it’s easy to get lost. However, there are a ton of simple, everyday interactions that can easily become places of engagement between parent and child. Today, I’m going to focus on bath time — I mean, no matter how much your kid wants to avoid getting clean, it has to happen eventually, so you might as well make it fun for both of you!
If your child’s old enough for the bathtub, bath time is a great place to engage with your baby or toddler. Believe it or not, the bath isn’t just used for getting clean — it’s a space for your child’s imagination to run free. Bath toys, like a plastic boat, can be a source of inspiration, and can make bath time more enjoyable for kids who resist getting in the tub. Even just a simple plastic cup will do. I remember playing with a cup and using it to pour water on my head and trap air underwater. The toy made my mom happy because it helped me get clean, but for my four-year-old self it was all a fun game.
Play these games with your child, and ask him questions about the world he’s creating. Encourage him to let his imagination run. Try bringing in new objects every now and then to keep him curious — shaving cream is always fun to play with in the bath. Bubbles are also great for cleaning and playtime. I know I loved making bubble beards and seeing how long I could make it “grow” before it fell off.
Bath time is also an underused space for reading. You can find waterproof baby books made specifically for getting wet, but any book will do. My mom used to let my sister and I each choose a picture book, and then she would read to us as we splashed around in the tub. When you bring books into the bath time ritual, you add another layer of engagement to your relationship with your child by reading the story and going through the illustrations with him.
Of course, these aren’t the only ways to bring engagement into the bathtub. If you or your toddler have any bath time rituals, we’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below and your suggestions will make it into a future post.
This piece was originally posted at VersaMe.com. VersaMe created the Starling the world’s first wearable engagement tracker that helps encourage and reinforce positive parenting behaviors.
