The Importance of Play

New Toys!
Luke with Liam in Background
Liam Playing the Drum (a gift from the Maymirs)
Luke with new Sesame Street Toy
Liam helping mom fold clothes

I am reading a book called the privilege of parenting that I have found to be very interesting so I thought I would share a few things. In this book, the author suggests that we can do two things to help restore the "art of fine parenting". One, we should remember that parenting is a privilege. By remembering that parenting is a privilege, we also understand that parenting is arguably the most important responsibility one will ever have in life. He states that parenthood is a "complex, interactive process," and unfortunately you can't immediately know how well you are doing. The second thing we should do to restore the art of fine parenting is to rediscover the importance of play. The reason for this is that play is integral to a child's discovery of the world. Play through mimicry, exploration, fantasy, and practice are how a child makes sense of the world and its resources.

In light of the importance of Play, the boys got some new toys recently. They are moving beyond rattles for entertainment and enjoy the things that light up, make noises, sing songs, etc...(the stuff that can drive me crazy by the end of the day). I am posting a couple of pictures of the boys with their newest toys. We have several pillows surrounding us on the floor because we are pretty good at sitting up, but we are not great. Thankfully, they seem to be pretty resilent after they topple over because it is hard to keep two babies upright at all times!

Liam has proven to be part monkey, just like we already thought he was. The other day he managed to get out of his bouncy chair despite the fact that he was strapped in. I turned around and found him laying on the floor with his blanket and stuffed dog. He somehow managed to get out of the chair and bring his dog and blanket with him. It looks like we won't be using the bouncy chairs very much anymore!