Healing Through Play

Little Butterfly has had a rough few months. Between saying goodbye to her favorite pup, some molars coming in, getting a pesky tummy bug (eeks!), and changing minute by minute as a 2 year old - I'd say we're all ready for a good night's sleep. Truth be told, sometimes when I look at Facebook, it seems like all the toddlers out there are smiling while eating their carrots, or quietly playing with their toys in their beautiful playrooms. I know we show our best faces on social media, but it's nice to hear other mamas keeping it real. Some months are just tough!

I have to admit, when I see someone going through a tough time, my instincts are to distract. I'll see a big pout and find myself announcing, "Let's go to the beach!" or "Who's in the mood for ice cream?" But I'm starting to figure out, what is distraction really doing here? Is it healing or just making me feel helpful? Recently I've discovered that Little Butterfly does her best healing through play. The last few weeks, I've cleared our schedule and completely let go to relax and observe her play freely. It's a challenge to not intervene and remind her, "be careful!" or "let me help!" But she's making it clear, she knows exactly what she's doing.

I can tell it sets her at ease that I want nothing from her. That errand we have to run? It can wait. We're out of milk you say? Baba can get it on his way home. It's a real delight to notice her confidence building each day. And an imagination so on fire, she doesn't notice when I quietly wipe her runny nose. It feels like we're getting somewhere. Truth be told, there's a great deal of healing that comes to me just by watching her play too.