Books : Playful Parenting: A Bold New Way to Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavior Problems, and Encourage Children's Confidence
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In association with Amazon.com
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by: Lawrence J. Cohen
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 649.5
EAN: 9780345438973
ISBN: 0345438973
Label: Ballantine Books
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 320
Publication Date: May 29, 2001
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: May 29, 2001
Sales Rank: 458728
Studio: Ballantine Books
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Parents have heard that play is a child's work--but play is not for kids only. As psychologist Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D., demonstrates in this delightful new book, play can be the basis for an innovative and rewarding approach to parenting. From eliciting a giggle during baby's first game of peek-a-boo to cracking jokes with a teenager while hanging out at the mall, Playful Parenting is a complete guide to using play to raise strong, confident children.
Have you ever stepped back to watch what really goes on when your children play? As Dr. Cohen points out, play is children's complex and fluid way of exploring the world, communicating hard-to-express feelings, getting close to those they care about, working through stressful situations, and simply blowing off steam. That's why 'playful parenting' is so important and so successful in building strong, close bonds between parents and children. Through play we join our kids in their world. We help them express and understand deep emotions, foster connection, aid the process of emotional healing--and have a great time ourselves while we're at it.
Anyone can be a playful parent--all it takes is a sense of adventure and a willingness to let down your guard and try something new. After identifying why it can be hard for adults to play, Dr. Cohen discusses how to get down on the floor and join children on their own terms. He covers games, activities, and playful interactions that parents can enjoy with children of all ages, whether it's gazing deep into a baby's eyes, playing chase with a toddler, fantasy play with a grade schooler, or reducing a totally cool teenager to helpless laughter.
Playful Parenting also includes illuminating chapters on how to use play to build a child's confidence and self-esteem, how to play through sibling rivalry, and how play can become a part of loving discipline. Written with love and humor, brimming with good advice and revealing anecdotes, and grounded in the latest research, Playful Parenting will make you laugh even as it makes you wise in the ways of being a happy, effective, enthusiastic parent.
Amazon.com Review:
Tag, you're it! In Playful Parenting, Lawrence Cohen demonstrates that parents need to lighten up and spend a few hours giggling with their kids. Play is inherently educational for children, he claims, and parents can learn plenty by examining the games kids play--from peekaboo to practical jokes.
Cohen is quick to point out that no matter what your child's temperament, she has a playful side. In its most basic form, play is a way to communicate. The author examines, with plenty of hilarious personal anecdotes, the details of play at every age and across genders. From his daughter and a new male friend discussing how 'cool' nuclear weapons are and how 'gross' a love song is, to a younger child zooming full-speed around a park at a birthday party, we're shown the exuberant truth behind playing: not only is it just plain fun, it can spark a variety of important sensations. One short section discusses the common phenomenon of happy giggling turning instantly to tears. Cohen suggests that 'the fun play opens the emotional door to let out the giggles, and a flood of other feelings come pouring out after.' Some specific ideas for games are included, and you'll find recommendations for everything from play wrestling to gentle storytelling. One chapter focuses on how to cope with play you don't find enjoyable, and how learning to appreciate these games can lead to surprising emotional insights. This is where Cohen's years of practice come in handy--it may be true that we all play, but not everyone immediately grasps the underlying messages. This is not simply a book filled with family activities, but rather an exploration of play for all ages. --Jill Lightner
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Play Connects You, Being Connected Helps
This is one of just a couple of parenting books that I keep coming back to because its advice not only resonates with my parenting instincts, but offers solutions that work for my family. Playing in the way described in this book, and other ways, helps me stay connected with my child. Being connected makes life together more joyful and easier.
Rating: - Can't Stop Reading
I've read many parenting books. I've haven't finish this one yet because I'm reading every chapter at least 2 times. It's giving me another ideas (Very good ideas) to connect and know my children. I follow some of its sugestions and worked for me. I really recommend it.
Rating: - Best parenting book I have, and I have about 20
This book is wonderful! This is the first parenting book I've read that actually increased the joy in the house. I've been having more fun than I thought possible with my one very easy and one tempermental child.
The book contains really specific suggestions, like what to do in uncomfortable play situations such as when your child points his pretend gun at you. (tell him it's a love gun and it makes you fall in love with him).
Also, the book empathizes with the difficulty ... Read More
Rating:  - Not what I had hoped
This book is a little too "psycho babble" for me. The author gives a lot of explanations by describing moments between himself and his own children that I did not find helpful. I felt like the book could have been only a few pages long and still gotten the same message across. All he really needed to say was, "Play with your children, even during discipline."
Rating: - Great insight on children's play
I bought this book because I needed help with getting better at playing with my daughter. She always wants to play and I am busy or not in the mood. I was feeling so guilty and not a good mom that I started looking for books on how to be a better parent. After reading this book, I realized how important play is. Is not just a game but a way to build a stronger relationship with my daughter and learning what she is thinking and feeling. Through play she lets me know if she had a good day at the daycare. ... Read More
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