WHEW! haha. That should get you off to a good start.
Here are some more, while im on the ball, not really about play and such, but more about bonding, which will help you get motivated to interact with your child more!

How to connect with your child
Use these strategies to build a bond.
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By Invest in Kids
Bonding with your preschooler
These are the years when your child really seems to be enjoying life and is even more fun to be around. He
thinks you're pretty terrific and wants to be like you, following you around and copying you. So setting a good
example for your child becomes even more important at this age. Try these tips to enrich the bond with your
preschooler:
• Be a model for good problem solving, negotiating and understanding of others, as well as all the other
skills you want your child to have and ways you want your child to behave. Teach and lead instead of using
force – but expect what's appropriate for your child's age, not perfection.
• Praise his efforts. Each time he learns a new skill, right from the earliest days, let him know how well he
has done.
• Play with your child. When your child plays, he is practicing skills in every area of his development. He
thinks, solves problems, talks, moves, cooperates and makes moral judgments. Play helps to get him ready for
the real world. Playing with you has the added benefit of cementing your bond.
• Make the time to have a one-to-one talk. Don't try to talk in the middle of family confusion. Find a time
and place where the two of you won't be interrupted.
• Don't interrupt when your child is speaking. The better you listen, the more likely you are to respond in a
way that is helpful.
• Express your love for your child in words and actions. Knowing he's a good, lovable person is the most
important way to build your child's self-esteem.
Young children are consummate imitators, constantly looking to their parents for guidance in how to handle
life’s challenges. As the parent of a preschooler, being a model for your child is important. To be an excellent
model, parents must know themselves – their emotions, values and beliefs – and how they appear to others in
the family, on the job and in their community.
Canadian Living : Family : Parenting : How to connect with your child
http://www.canadianliving.com/family...connect_with_y...
1 of 2 09/06
and this link is great, it talks about emotional warmth and bonding(you probably know some but i like rereading it from time to time to remind me)
http://www.mental-health-matters.com...article&id=254
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-t...-children.html
Quote:
How to Bond with Your Child
By Joann Patrick, eHow Member Bonding Time
Rate: (2 Ratings)
You’ve been blessed with a beautiful, little bundle. Your little bundle turns into a toddler. Your toddler turns into a child. Your child turns into a young adult. Before you know it, your child is a parent, too. What kind of parent he or she will be is largely determined by what kind of parent you are. Love breeds love. It’s as simple as that. Make the decision today to form a bond with your child that will last a lifetime, and possibly for generations to come.
Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
- Step 1
Talk to your child. This is the best way to get to know the person inside of that little body. Don’t just talk to your child, listen, too. Start this habit as early as possible, and your child will turn to you for advice, or just to share his or her thoughts.
A side note: Ask your child questions that require full responses. Never settle for yes or no answers.
- Step 2
Play with your child. If you are a sports enthusiast, you can bond with your child through sports. If you aren’t, playing board and card games can be equally fun. You can even establish a family game night. Our family likes to play UNO on Friday nights. We make popcorn or cow patty cookies and spend hours playing, laughing, and munching on no-no goodies.
- Step 3
Introduce your child to fun movies you used to watch as a kid. I’ve introduced my daughter to 80’s flicks. She loves them. We have so much fun watching them together. We also listen to 80’s music. We sing, we dance, and we get a little crazy. Not only are we bonding, we’re also creating memories we can laugh about later.
- Step 4
Read together. Make this a nightly event. When my daughter turned nine, I stopped reading to her every night. She recently told me she missed it, so we started our nightly ritual once again. Reading together is a really enjoyable experience, and my daughter doesn’t let me skip a night. On stormy nights, we like to cuddle in bed and read a scary story (nothing too frightening, but fun just the same). Allow your child to read aloud, too. It will help to improve your child’s reading skills.
- Step 5
Don’t forget to say "I love you" every single day. Hug your child with meaning. Never leave a doubt in your child’s mind that he or she is loved and wanted. I promise you, just by completing these simple steps, a bond will form that will last a lifetime.
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