The Wonder Years

It’s playtime! The Whatley children are deep in the play zone; join Sara and the gang in... LET’S PRETEND

My children have started to play a wonderful game after dinner every night called ‘crazy’. They race through their food, jump down from the table and Mia starts the game with a sassy bottom wiggle and a call of, “Ner ner ner vee bee” (nope, no idea what it means either). Then she turns on her heels and pelts down the hall. Jarvis launches himself after her, squealing with delight, and does that toddler run where their feet go faster than their body, and you are never sure if they are in control or not. Often, he will end up running into a door or wall or chair and need a mummy cuddle pit stop before returning to the lure of ‘crazy’.

It’s not my favourite game, I must say, but it is just so wonderful to see my children playing happily together that I close my ears to the screams and let them get on with it. It’s all about play at their age.

Other life stuff, such as getting dressed or eating, is just an inconvenience getting in the way of their games. And that is what life should be like for them. I see them learning so many life lessons through playing and of course, they are having so much fun while doing it. Dolls in the pram, dressing up as Elsa, wizards and superheroes, building with blocks, and getting the animals out – “ ’Ello moo cow, ’ello horsey,” says Jarvis.

The park is a big part of their play life. We are there almost every single day after school. Mia said to me quietly, so Jarvis couldn’t hear, “I love Jarvis to the moon and back… and to the park and back.” That’s what it means to her. Here they can be wild and free, shout and scream, run and jump to their heart’s content. What we mainly end up doing though is going on the swings. It never ceases to amaze me how long children can swing for – one minute for me and I need to lie down with a bucket! Sometimes play is a snuggle on the sofa, or even better, in the play tent, a child tucked under each arm, with a few books. Stories of diggers or squirrels for Jarvis, and practically anything for Mia; that girl just loves to read. I make it sound like they play idyllically together all the time. Pah! If only that was the truth. Much of the time it’s a scrabble, a tussle, a “Don’t touch my things!” from Mia and a hair pulling retaliation from Jarvis. It’s the age-old lesson of sharing and turn taking. But when the stars align and they do play happily together, it’s a golden moment of heaven that I try to remember until

Mia starts the the next explosion comes. l game with a sassy bottom wiggle and a call of, “Ner ner ner vee bee”