false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172287563m/160909.jpg 160909 2 Tag, you're it! In <i>Playful Parenting</i>, Lawrence Cohen demonstrates that parents need to lighten up and spend a few hours giggling with their kids. Play is inherently educational for children, he claims, and parents can learn plenty by examining the games kids play--from peekaboo to practical jokes. <p> Cohen is quick to point out that no matter what your child's temperament, she has a playful side. In its most basic form, play is a way to communicate. The author examines, with plenty of hilarious personal anecdotes, the details of play at every age and across genders. From his daughter and a new male friend discussing how "cool" nuclear weapons are and how "gross" a love song is, to a younger child zooming full-speed around a park at a birthday party, we're shown the exuberant truth behind playing: not only is it just plain fun, it can spark a variety of important sensations. One short section discusses the common phenomenon of happy giggling turning instantly to tears. Cohen suggests that "the fun play opens the emotional door to let out the giggles, and a flood of other feelings come pouring out after." Some specific ideas for games are included, and you'll find recommendations for everything from play wrestling to gentle storytelling. One chapter focuses on how to cope with play you don't find enjoyable, and how learning to appreciate these games can lead to surprising emotional insights. This is where Cohen's years of practice come in handy--it may be true that we all play, but not everyone immediately grasps the underlying messages. This is not simply a book filled with family activities, but rather an exploration of play for all ages. <I>--Jill Lightner</I> 2476813 2001 Playful Parenting total:224|5:81|4:96|3:41|2:5|1:1| 224 923 498 66 4 1 false false Sat Mar 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 09:23:17 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 09:25:02 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 03 12:07:47 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 28 12:23:45 -0700 2008 1 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Aug 18 18:57:23 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 18 19:02:22 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 1 false false Wed Aug 29 05:32:15 -0700 2007 Wed Aug 29 05:33:32 -0700 2007 5 0 false false Wed Nov 18 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Oct 14 12:19:08 -0700 2009 Fri Nov 20 10:25:54 -0800 2009
11/4 I don't think I entirely agree with this author's approach (I think many of the play examples he gives can sometimes be merely distracting or can be an intrusive way of trying to get the attention/energy of a ch...more...]]> 4 1 false false Tue Jan 01 19:22:22 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 22 17:32:04 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Jul 13 05:50:54 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 05:55:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Nov 15 20:38:51 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 15 20:46:51 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Nov 28 18:05:04 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 28 18:12:04 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Jul 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 01 08:00:07 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 11 21:17:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Mar 22 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Feb 21 12:16:15 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 22 08:25:41 -0700 2008 children's short attention spans, but how long can we sit and play marbles or Barbies or Monopoly or fantasy games before we get bored and distracted, or pulled away by the feeling that getting work done or cooking dinner is more important." p.3

i just finishe...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 16 16:42:22 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 25 12:19:55 -0800 2008
...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Jan 18 05:11:29 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 18 05:18:09 -0800 2008
It's excellent. The author talks about how important it is to set aside time every day to play with your child on his or her own terms. H...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jul 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 27 19:24:32 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 10 10:13:15 -0700 2008 Playful Parenting offers a parenting approach I find tremendously valuable. It makes interactions with children more fun, fosters clearer communication and a stronger connection between parent and child, and offers an alternative discipline approach rather than the typical punitive or permissive mod...more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 20 10:41:09 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 20 12:16:05 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Apr 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 13 05:13:35 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 27 09:28:04 -0700 2009
I think the most v...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Mar 12 10:11:16 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 21 17:33:03 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 26 07:39:26 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 26 07:39:26 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Tue Jul 14 21:37:49 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 12:03:01 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Apr 25 15:48:13 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 25 18:08:30 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=160909