Pacific Spirit Play Resources

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Attention

Attention: Parents and Caregivers of Children 3-10 Years Old

Build a Stronger Relationship with Your Child

Discover

Discover how parent-child play can not only support your child’s healthy development but also strengthen the relationship you have with your child.

Some reasons you may be here:

  • You are struggling to find time to connect in positive ways with your child
  • You are unsure of or don’t know how to play or connect positively with your child
  • You are frustrated that your child is rejecting your efforts to engage and connect in a meaningful way
  • Your child is dealing with big or strong emotions or you feel anxious about your child’s out-of-control behavior
  • You have been working with a professional who recommends more time spent with your child

Please Note: I use the term “parents” to include not only biological parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, and step-parents, but also any other caring adult who has a relationship with the child, for example, grandparents, aunts, uncles, other extended family members, or any other caregivers.

Play Skills for Parents: Connecting With Your Child Through Play - by Kathy Eugster

Buy the book

Available in eBook, paperback, and hardcover.

You may also have heard – photo

You may also have heard

You may also have heard that playing with your child is encouraged and recommended by child development experts.

Oh no! you say…

  • You already feel overwhelmed because your child is constantly asking you to play
  • You feel stressed because you have very little time to play
  • You feel guilty for not spending more time playing with your child
  • You have sometimes felt unsure of just how to play with your child
  • You have even felt bored playing with your child at times, maybe like “what’s the point?”

These are very common feelings that many parents have.

Parenting is very rewarding

Parenting is very rewarding, but also very challenging!

As a parent today you have huge demands placed on you as well as time constraints to fulfill numerous obligations.

That being said:

  • You want to support your child’s healthy development
  • You want to have a strong and positive relationship with your child
  • You want to enjoy spending time with your child

The good news is that, even when time is short, you CAN learn ways to play effectively with your child.

Play Skills for Parents: Connecting With Your Child Through Play - by Kathy Eugster

Buy the book

Available in eBook, paperback, and hardcover.

Benefits photo (<600px width)

Benefits of Parent-Child Play

Benefits of Parent-Child Play

We have learned from recent research that children need many positive, face-to-face interactions with their parents or caregivers in order for healthy growth and development. Play activities between you and your child are some of the best ways you can provide these positive, face-to-face interactions.

Parent-child play is also one of the best ways to build and strengthen your relationship with your child. You can offer unique benefits by playing with your child that child-child play interactions do not offer. Although children still benefit from playing with other children, you can offer more advanced ways of playing to your child.

When you play with your child, you are providing your child with the positive benefits of play in general. Child development experts all agree that play is essential for healthy child development.

Time spent in play with your child can be one of the most beneficial and valuable things you can provide for your child.

Benefits photo

I can help

I can help you and your child make the most of parent-child play.

The resources offered on this website will focus on how you can play effectively with your 3 to 10-year old child in ways that will:

  • strengthen your relationship with your child
  • help you to support your child’s healthy development
  • help you to enjoy playing with your child more

Why am I well-suited to provide these parent-child play resources?

Kathy Eugster, Child and Family TherapistMy name is Kathy Eugster and I am a retired Child and Family Therapist and Certified Play Therapist. I am also a parent and grandparent myself.

For close to 20 years, I provided counselling and play therapy services to children, mainly between the ages of 3 to 10 years old, and their families. During that time, I saw many young children with challenging emotional and behavioral problems. Not only did I work to help the child heal and recover, I also worked with the child’s parents or caregivers to support them in supporting their child.

After retiring, I was inspired to help parents in general learn some effective ways to play with their children. I am passionate about helping parents to connect more deeply with their children and also to support their child’s healthy growth and development. Not only that, I also wanted to help parents enjoy playing with their children!

As a parent, grandparent, retired clinical counsellor and play therapist, I know the importance to a child’s well-being and mental health of having a strong and secure relationship with a parent or caregiver. I believe I have a unique perspective on parent-child play to offer that combines real-life practical experience as a parent and grandparent with formal academic training and clinical experience in child and play therapy. I would like to share my knowledge and experience in this area with others.

My goal with this website is to make resources on parent-child play available to a wide range of parents, caregivers, and professionals.

Contact me at: keugster@telus.net.

Play Skills for Parents: Connecting With Your Child Through Play - by Kathy Eugster

Buy the book

Available in eBook, paperback, and hardcover.