The experts call this Child Directed Play.
Your child knows it as The Reason You Are So Boring.
I'm not going to detail all the research. You know how to Google.
Child Directed Play is about allowing them to be in charge, or mostly in charge, of playtime. The boring parental eggheads, also know as experts, suggest 10 minutes a day for your little. A friend of mine once advized a room full of new dads," 30 minutes a day, play with your kid. No matter what!" Easier said than done for many of us.
My answer, make more little things fun.
Take something they are already doing, or interested in, and add to it. Sometimes, add one thing. Sometimes, a bunch of things. Sometimes, they'll run with it. Sometimes, they'll suprise you with a whole diffent direction.
Sometimes, you will bomb. It's okay. Rejection is a part of life. It's a perfect time to lead by example.
Sometimes, you can do nothing. Just say "Yeah, you can play with that. What do you want to do? Okay, that's not dangerous."
These posts aren't just about large chunks of time for Child Directed Play. But, more importantly, they are recognizing the small opportunities to play, allowing or helping your little find the fun in the mundane, and turning boring adult activities into family amusement.
Hopefully, you will find that it doesn't take a lot of effort to stop being a boring dad, and become a bonding dad.
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