Are the Grandparents coming in from out of town? New babysitter coming over?
To kids, play is connection. The faster you can get everyone involved in a fun playful game, that faster kids can build that connection with an adult.
Think about all the things your child may be feeling around new people. Excited, nervous, shy, worried about separation, or all of those things. If they start to experience new people as a chance to have fun, you can work towards building more positively correlated feelings with having new family visit or caregivers take over.
Get the grandparents involved in a game to break the ice and give them a chance to experience your kids’ ideas! Set the expectation with the new babysitter that you want them to come over and play FIRST, then you can give them the run-down of logistics. Or send them a voice note or video before they get there with all the info they should know.
Let your kids drive play as much as possible! Use the Play Deck and let your kids share their favorite cards and ideas to help create those connections.
We will share even more ideas next week but, in the meantime, check us out on @imaginethatplay on instagram and tiktok for more activities and play ideas for your kids!
Happy Playing!