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19A. ROUGHHOUSING - Part 1

Roughhousing gives the child a chance to win. For a brief moment the child can dominate the adult. That is what makes roughhousing fun. It is a great way to even the score and to release tensions.

What you are trying to provide is the taste of victory. The child who wins occasionally with an adult will go on to tackle other problems, like expressing feelings, or doing homework.

Of course no one wins all the time and you only succeed if you try. Through roughhousing you can teach a child how to lose, too. Sometimes you win in life and sometimes you lose. The point is to do your best, to keep trying, and to improve your techniques.

THREE RIDERS

The adult says the following verses as he or she bounces the child on the knees at slow, medium, and fast speeds:

"This is the way the farmer rides: Clipety clop, clipety clop.
This is the way the ladies ride: Tritree, tritree, tritree.
This is the way the gentleman rides: Gallipe, gallipe, gallipe."

TROT TROT

Trot Trot

Say aloud as you suddenly spread your knees:

"Trot trot to Boston
Trot trot to Lynn.
Watch out (child's name),
Or you'll fall in."

PAPA WENT A HUNTING

Papa

"Papa went a hunting.
Papa shot a bear.
Where did he shoot him?
Right in there!"

TICKLING

At first the adult tickles the child. As the child gets older, the child tickles the adult.

For variation, tell your child that when an adult presses his or her belly button, the adult becomes no longer ticklish. The child has to repress the adult's belly button to make the adult ticklish again.