Is your child the one that loves to be THROWN up in the AIR and tossed around?? Then roll on the floor as if they were lion cubs wrestling?  

My husband travelled for his work, and would sometimes be gone for a month at a time! He would come home and hug me, kiss me…then wrestle, almost wordless…with all three kids…making them squeal, grunt, growl, smile and find pure exhaustion in the physical contact!

Some children just REALLY enjoy that rough and tumble play! It can be incredibly beneficial for development! Think about the elements of it…

Social/Emotional

Bonding with Daddy! Touch, the essence of bonding…and with Daddy, a bear hug or a toss in the air with a huge smile and a catch, embracing your toddler….that’s bonding! That’s emotional, social, and confidence building!

Motor Development

Your sweet toddler attacking Daddy! Running, jumping, diving in to the fun…this is all motor development! Defending themselves against tickles and big squeezes…it strengthens every muscle in their tiny bodies!

Communication

Shouting at the top of their lungs, “MORE!” or “DADDY!” or “TICKLE” or “GET YOU!” These are all WONDERFUL opportunities for communication!

Sensory

Those huge bear hugs…big squeezes…tosses in the air and to the ground…rolling around…all meet both proprioceptive and vestibular input! These are “Senses 6 and 7”…much like sight, sound, touch, taste and hearing…vestibular and proprioceptive provide the awareness of body in space, and body during movement. All of the love that “Rough & Tumble Play” provides also feeds in to these two senses.

Are you starting to see how all that love, and rolling around on the floor is beneficial? The benefits are truly amazing! So, the next time that big brother, uncle, Daddy, or even MOMMY, decide to get involved in this…please know that you are providing many necessary elements for development!

WHO “Rough & Tumble Plays” with your child? How do they seem before/after? What do you see as the benefits to this? We LOVE to hear your comments!

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