Play Therapyisms

For those play therapists out there, you know all too well how much we joke around with our play therapy 'talk.'  Or as I call them, "play therapyisms."  Play therapy is for sure a different language, and I've had many children clients tell me I talk 'funny.'

So now that my child is now understanding more of what I say, it is so cute to start using these little 'play therapyisms' and see how she reacts.

What are play therapyisms?

Well, by now I'm sure you've heard me go over and over the limit setting techniques play therapists use, so it's really just a shortened version of them. We don't use the word "don't" (pun intended here). And we try not to start a command with "no!"

When your baby doesn't know any better and starts hitting their friend, we say: "Hands are not for hitting"

When your child stands up on their chair, we say: "Chairs are for sitting in"

Or, in my home, the following:

"My computer is not for eating"

"We sit down in bathtubs"

"Sippy cups are not for throwing"

"We use soft touches to pet Honey Bear (our dog)"

See the difference between a harsh "No standing up!" vs. "we sit down in bathtubs" or "bathtubs are for sitting in"?  That's why most kids think I talk so funny, because they are not used to hearing such warm, positive directives.

By the way, it works great on husbands too, "we put dirty dishes in the dishwasher" :)