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Reparenting Through Play Is My New Form of Self-Care
From hula hoops to jump ropes, it’s time to make a playdate for yourself
Did your mom play with you? I mean really play, like get on the floor and pretend with dolls or jump rope with you or play hide-and-seek for hours?
It sounds super sad to ask myself that question, or my siblings, and to consider what it means when the answer is a resounding no. However, I think kids of older, old-school parents might understand. My mom was born in 1939 and was the eldest of the family. She was raised to be seen but not heard and to be utterly presentable when either case was called for. Always expected to be the big sister, the surrogate mother, well-behaved and responsible. And then she had five kids of her own, starting at the age of 20. I was born when she was 39 years old. Throughout it all, my mom worked a full-time job, and I’m pretty sure she cooked dinner on most nights or switched off with my aunt.
I was a happy child. I grew up a mama’s girl. But mama did not want her baby daughter to be sweaty, rambunctious, or rumpled. I can remember reading with her, watching TV with her, going to events with her, and learning how to do things in the kitchen from her (and for her). But my mom did not play games. My sister confirmed exactly this when I asked her.
