Nothing is much better stress reliever than playing with your child ….

Life is simple but we humans often make it too complex by worrying too much or being anxious and hurried to do things. It is at this state when our body begins to feel tense, and our mind gets bothered by too many things in life. This is what we call as “Stress”, which is a natural reaction. There are various ways to handle stress like by learning to cope with thoughts and events so they no longer are stressful or by practicing relaxation to give “all clear signal”.

However, nothing is more stress reliever than playing with your own child. Experts also believe that play time can relieve stress in bad times. Playing is not just an essential activity for kids but also for adults as it is an excellent source of relaxation technique. When you play with your kids, it helps fuel your imagination, creativity and also helps improve your problem-solving abilities. Last weekend was relaxing for me as I had a fun time with my son. So, here are some tips that I felt are worthy to be shared while you want to play with your kids that will also help you relieve stress:

1. Involve in an outdoor activity: If your child is grown up, like a 3 or a 4 year old, then it is always good to have an outdoor activity. Take your child to an accompanying garden to involve in some outdoor sport. You can either choose your own favorite sport or choose what your child loves like football, cricket, and so on. I choose the later whenever I go out with my son. An outdoor sport is also important for you as it involves a physical activity that makes you fit and keeps you healthy. Any physical activity like an exercise is often a proven stress buster, and moreover the outdoor activity with kids might be more fulfilling than working out in a gymnasium.
2. Find some time for an indoor activity: We all are busy in our life and seldom have we found time to reach home early and spend time with our family. However, we still should try to find some time to spend with our family especially our kids. And, moreover, we should involve ourselves to find some time for an indoor sport with our kids like a board game and so on. If you involve in an indoor activity with your kids, it not only helps you to bond with them but also is an excellent way to relieve stress. In addition, indoor activity also helps you to increase creativity and problem-solving ability. There are many board games that you can try with your kids like Monopoly, Word Scrabble, and the very old Snakes and Ladders. You can even try playing carom with your kids or even chess if you have older kids.
3. Try to read a bedtime story: It is a proven fact that reading can help reduce stress, and in fact reading can be a healthy escape from the stress in the everyday life. In a 2009 study at the University of Sussex, it was found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. And, moreover, reading with your kids is much better option to help relieve stress, and it helps you to create a stronger bond with your kids.
4. Create a craft with your child: You can also get involved to create a craft project together with your child like solving a puzzle or create an object. This not only helps you to relieve your stress but it also helps to increase your creative thinking ability.
5. Watch a movie: You can even watch a movie with your child—either take your child to a theater or rent a video. Watching a movie helps relieve stress as it relaxes your mind and body. However, you must be careful while you watch a movie with your child and you must choose a movie to suit his interests and his age as well.

Last but not the least, as a parent, you must also lead by example so when you are with your kids, ensure that you never get stressed out because the kids will watch how you de-stress, and are likely to mimic what they see.

So, as a parent you must cultivate in them healthy ways to avoid and respond to stress since they consider you as a role model.