PK through Second grade
When your child has been knocked off of their center, they may need support to reset. Humor and ridiculousness provide space for your child to explore and gain perspective on powerful emotions that leave them struggling to manage their reactions.
“When you lose in a playful power struggle with a child, you give them a little burst of confidence, which is often exactly what they need to refresh their perspective and make better choices.”
Key Strategies
Fool Playing comes in four primary flavors. Consider these examples:
- Laugh-at-Me. If your kindergartner calls you a “stupid idiot,” oblige them. Act so stupid that you cannot distinguish between them and your couch. Try to take a nap on them. The goal is to “lose your dignity to find your child.”
- Role Playing. With a child obsessed with fairness, you might pick up the child’s second favorite animal or toy and make it say to the child: “It’s not fair! You always play with snakey .”
- Redirecting. If your child calls you a “poopy head,” you might respond something like this: “Actually, that’s not my secret name! It’s really Fluffy Juice Ball”… or whatever ridiculousness you think will make your child laugh.
- General Ridiculousness. If your child pretends to shoot you after you have asked them not to, try falling over dead, in a dramatic death scene.
Additional Resources
Book: Playful Parenting, Lawrence Cohen
Fool Playing