Playful Parenting: An Exciting New Approach to Raising Children That Will Help You Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavior Problems, and Encourage Confidence

Bought this book for a male friend who struggled to connect with his son - after reading this book he is much with his son - this book offered practical examples and my friend said it was a good read and it did help .

Keynes famously said "Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist" and in a similar way, many of us are probably unwitting inheritors of a behaviourist view of parenting that suggests we somehow *should* be punishing or rewarding behaviour at its face value.Lawrence Cohen offers another perspective, based on personal and professional experience, and two simple and reasonably common-sense ideas. The first idea is attachment theory, which he explains with the metaphor of a cup - when a child's "attachment cup" is full (of attachment and connectedness to an attachment figure) then they have the confidence and security to explore their world and the people in it. The second idea is that children use play to model and test whatever's on their mind, especially roles and relationships.So when a child says "you're a stinker", Cohen's response is to take it playfully not personally. He whispers "Don't tell anyone my secret name - only my closest friends call me Stinker" and the play begins.The whole book is informed by his life as a father and his work as a play therapist, and I have found it to be immensely practical in reducing the stresses and conflicts caused by misunderstanding situations and communications. I'm currently re-reading the book after a year or so, and it's almost scary to recognise how many recent minor parenting triumphs had their roots in my first reading of the book.Is there a down-side? Of course - sometimes it's hard to find the energy to play on the floor, or the time just to sit together on the sofa. But how much energy and time does it take to do things the other way, and with how much less laughter and pleasure?

Really worth reading, even if you are just starting out on your parenting journey as it shows a good approach to a conflict free household by just changing your own behaviour and reactions a bit. This doesn't mean that you will become a pushover, however it shows how making things fun and enjoyable, or playing games can turn often frustrating situations (like getting a child up and out of the door in time for school) more manageable and even fun.Loses a star rating purely for being a bit American with the whole 'towers of isolation' thing, and going whaaaaaa and falling over all the time but overlook that or adapt that to how you feel comfortable and it's well worth reading. Best book like this I've even bought.

I totally agree with the other positive reviews: it's a great book and I cannot recommend it enough to all parents, carers or even people in general, because the emphasis on connection and playfulness is important in any type of relationship - though of course the subject here is parenting. I've seen books about parenting which use some spiritual vocabulary such as inner light and soul, which rather puts me off. This one does have one or two metaphors (e.g. it talks about the tower of powerlessness) but they do make sense and help bring the point across. There's a lot of good stuff here (e.g. practical suggestions on how to deal in certain situations) but for me the most valuable chapters were those towards the end which deal with the issue of discipline. The author put in words the feelings I've always had about punishment. He sees most 'misbehaviour' as just a matter of disconnection. It makes perfect sense that rather than using punishment to deal with it - which will in fact deepen the disconnection - we should rather try to re-establish the connection. One of the ways of connecting with our kids is playfulness and so Cohen strongly encourages us to engage with our kids in a playful way as much as possible and use our sense of humour in our daily encounters with them. Using his words: "You will do a much better job of teaching your values and getting cooperation with your rules by being playful than by being stern".

I'm still reading this but am so impressed I felt compelled to write a review! My daughter is approaching her fifth birthday and is having some problems at school with shyness. I wish I had read this book years ago...it is so well written: encourageing and not at all condescending, and the author has something valuable to say on every page. Its not just about playing with your children, but encourageing self esteem and what he calls "connectedness" between you and your child and hence your child and the world outside the family home. I purchased this along with a couple of other books about confidence building in children and overcoming shyness, and I have no hesitation in saying that this will be the one I keep returning to again and again. Rather than giving you "exercises" to do (groan!) as in the other books, he gives you ideas which you can try out straight away. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, whether your child is having problems or not, you will both take away many positive things from "Playful Parenting".

This is an incredible book that was WELL ahead of its time and speaks usefully about how to play with children around gender inequity as well as a small snippet on race/ability. It is littered with examples of how to play with children who are experiencing issues with different themes, and how to approach it as a parent. I am surprised how much I have adored this book and I will refer to it for years to come. Highly recommend.

I never thought that a book on play and play as an activity could be so much transforming.We as parents shouldn't outsource play. Get on the floor. Kids do not need more toys, they need more play, and more of it with you.Written more than 20 yrs back, the book and it's content are still not that much a part of modern day influencers talks.Playing with kids is not easy. But it does becomea a bit more manageable once you understand and start seeing the benefits.Happy play.

i dont have kids but it was good self healing kinda stuff

Vraiment super, lecture conseillée à tous les parents! Ce livre m'a beaucoup aidée à voir les choses autrement et à mieux me comporter avec mes enfants En plus ça se lit bien, avec plein d'exemples

Great read! Learned so much and feel inspired to get on the floor more often. I wiuld recommend it anyone who wants to add some fun into daily routine.