Why Playing On the Floor Matters More than You Know
“Motherhood has a way of keeping our hearts low and humble. No one applauds us for doing puzzles, stacking blocks, and making forts. I don’t particularly enjoy floor-life. Low and unnoticed. I like lights, cameras, and action. I lean toward brainstorming, strategizing, and creating spaces for those who long for God to find Him in our city. That kind of work gets me all kinds of excited and passionate...floor life, not so much.
Having fake conversations with topless Barbies just isn’t my jam. Maybe it’s yours, and if so, thanks be to God—grace comes easy to you on the floor. This girl is lifting her chin looking for grace all the time as I “play” legos and find missing limbs for each Ninjago character.”
I wrote the above excerpt from an honest place. Floor life certainly is not glamorous, but it is absolutely good. So much goodness, grace, and growth happens on the floor.
Here's three reasons why playing on the floor matters more than you know:
1. Time is our most precious gift to give.
Giving our undivided attention to our children is what they most need and want. And playing on the floor with legos, dolls, puzzles, marbles, and every kind of tiny poke-your-eye-out-brightly colored toy is full of opportunity to simply be present. To be with them. To tousle hair. To watch their wonder and remember yours. Time on the floor is so good.
2. We grow from the ground up.
We both have growing to do, us and our child. But our growth won't come from wishing them older. It won't be by yelling. It won't be by pulling and shoving and running ragged in and out of car seats and in and out of peace. It will be by love. By servant-leadership. By getting low and getting grateful. It will be in the humble moments, kneeling with cards and dolls and hunching over to squeeze into toddler-size forts. It will be more quiet and honest and slow. Just the way a solid oak would grow. God is shaping our characters as we both practice sharing, kindness, patience, and a slow spirit. Good growth happens ground up.
3. Slowing down is good for the soul.
Sometimes I believe if I slow down and play, I will be behind. Behind what? An invisible line of impossible? Behind perfectly organized everything and perfectly clean kitchens and perfectly tidy bedrooms? Newsflash: there is no such thing as a perfect home. Or a perfect accomplishment. Or a perfect mom. The thing about the floor life is that it is an opportunity for faith. If we slow down enough to play, then our soul must trust God. We have to trust Him that there will be enough time to clean, to send emails, to get to our to-do list. We have to trust Him that our time is the best gift to give and that He is always working, even when we are not. God will provide as we play. I've seen it countless times.
May you be encouraged as you play with tiny things and tiny people. This is not time wasted; just the opposite. This is time where love grows and souls breathe.