If you don’t know horizontal parenting it’s not your fault. I also just came along with horizontal parenting when I was searching on parenting styles. And what it stands for is parenting when you lay horizontally on a couch or bed.
Horizontal parenting can save your day, if you are tired, have not enough sleep or you catched a cold and need a rest. Since exactly at this moment your children are full of energy and want you to play with them ball, going out to play scooter or want you to chase them.
No involvement from your side
- The classic would be to turn on the TV and watch a movie. The little ones are busy watching and you can take a nap or two.
- Let them play with your tablet. Will keep them busy and gives you the time you need.
Little involvement, if you need to shift a gear down
- If you only need a little rest and you are still fine, play some card games on the couch or bed.
- Reading or flick thru storybooks would require some interaction from your side. On the good side you can do this in a relaxed position.
- You can also start a tapeworm story, as long you still can concentrate.
- What also requires some contribution on your side to let the children run around the couch and from time to time you come out under the blanket. And the monster wants to eat them. Side effects are that the children are burning some energie.
- And when they are getting hungry or it’s time for lunch. How about sandwiches or toast Hawaii? The good thing, your children can do everything by themselves. Maybe they need some help to reach up in the fridge or get the plates from the upper cabinet.
- Let them prepare a milkshake or frozen yogurt ice cream, for later.
- Painting hidden on the back of your child numbers, characters or a simple picture with your finger. And take turns.
- If your children love handcraft, you can let them make a necklace or bracelet for themselves, grandma or their friends.
Relax and let the children do the job for you
- We already had the milkshake and the sandwich in this category. Here a few more:
- Let your children get some things, something red, something old, something soft, something shiny or something with wheels. And after bringing something to you they need to bring it back where it belongs too.
- Close your eyes and your children can sneak from A to B and when you hear something open the eyes and they need to start again.
- Play spa parlour, your children run the place and treat you with an arm, neck massage. Or a foot bath and massage, let them cream your tired arms and legs with lotion.
- Play doctor, baby or kitty cat and guess who is the patient, the tired baby or cuddly cat.
- Let your children prepare a theater or puppet theater play from A to Z, including entrance tickets and snacks. And of course the performers need to practice behind closed doors.
- And if they like building, let them build the tallest tower ever from bricks or blocks.
- After a long day it’s time for a competition in tidying up. Who can do it best in the shortest time
The SECRET
The secret is that only one parent at any given time can practice horizontal parenting, And when your spouse is at home most likely it won’t be you.
Recent Comments