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The Playful Parent: 7 ways to happier, calmer, more creative days with your under-fives

by Julia Deering

Play-centered tools for everyday life with under-fives

Regular price $18.52 USD
Regular price $28.94 USD Sale price $18.52 USD
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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Play-centered tools for everyday life with under-fives

Julia Deering’s guide treats play as a practical part of parenting children from 18 months to five, applying it to cooperation, independence, creativity, and common pressure points such as errands, bedtimes, car journeys, and transitions. The book is organized around a “7 Ways to Play” concept, pairing its principles with more than 100 activities, prompts, tips, and household strategies. It also includes guidance for arranging home and family routines around play, plus a Family Favourites chart for tracking activities and shaping daily or weekly plans. Its approach emphasizes engaging young children through play instead of punishment-based responses.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Parents and carers of children aged 18 months to five
  • Families seeking activity-based ideas for routines and transitions
  • Caregivers interested in play-led approaches to cooperation and independence

Themes

Play-based parentingEarly childhood developmentFamily routinesPositive behavior guidanceCreativity and independence

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

The Playful Parent offers a new solution for parents and carers looking for a calmer, happier and smarter way to parent the under-fives.

This activity-led parenting guide shows how to get young children involved and learning, thinking and growing, helping and cooperating without any need for 'the naughty step' or punishment at all, but by making play the beating heart of family life.

Julia Deering offers support and advice to busy parents, combining down-to-earth practicality with hundreds of simple activities, tips, tricks and fixes, guidance, prompts and brilliant ideas that show parents how to tap into their child's playful instincts. You can use The Playful Parent to:

  • Make your little one's good behaviour become their normal behaviour
  • Remove those parent/child battle-of-will situations
  • Help steer clear of the flashpoint furies and melt-down moments of the 'terrible twos'
  • Run fuss-free errands with your toddlers in tow
  • Tackle tricky transitions such as bedtimes and car journeys with ease
  • Develop your child's independence and unleash their natural creativity
  • Bond with a child in the first language they know: play

Whether you've forgotten how to play or you're still a child at heart, The Playful Parent equips you with all the know-how you need to make play work for you and your family; transforming parenting during the early years into a more enjoyable, rewarding and memorable experience.

Includes:

  • A guide to the principles of play and how to use the 7 Ways to Play concept
  • Advice on how to organise your home - and your life - for maximum play with minimum stress
  • Over a hundred uncomplicated and irresistible activities for your 18 month - 5 year olds
  • A Family Favourites chart so you can record favourite activities and start building daily and weekly planners
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