When it comes to what kind of parent you want to be, there is always the picture in your head and then the reality when you are in the thick of it. Parents either discover a parenting style they want to emulate or search out the parenting style they feel best suits their personality. One parenting style that’s gaining traction lately is horizontal parenting.
While some may call horizontal parenting the lazy approach to raising kids, those who have tried it say it’s a lifesaver that enables parents to be present while not having to constantly chase kids around the house. Anything that keeps the parents and kids interacting and gives parents a bit of a breather should at least be considered. Here is what you should know about horizontal parenting if you’re looking for a multipurpose approach to your kids.
What is horizontal parenting?
Horizontal parenting doesn’t have a long, intricate description. It is literally playing with your child while you are horizontal on the floor. Yes, this parenting style is finding a way to play with your child while you lie down or even while you sit down. If it sounds like a parent’s dream, that’s because it is.
Every age and stage a child goes through has new twists and turns and ways they want to play with you. Between work (whether you work from home or outside of the house) and parenting duties, it is a struggle to make it to your child’s bedtime, let alone your own. Horizontal parenting gives parents an out while still keeping them involved with the kids. Any game or activity you can play with your child while lying in a horizontal position is fair game. It doesn’t mean every interaction with your child is you on the ground, but mixing it in with your main parenting style could be the ideal combo you’ve been looking for.
Why horizontal parenting is gaining momentum
Being a parent is hard. No matter how many books you read, the amount of help you have, or if it’s your first or third child — parenting is hard. Something always comes up that makes you question your sanity, and there will be days when you feel like you won’t make it until bedtime.
Between wanting to be the most present parent you can be and being able to take a break, it’s almost impossible for parents these days to do it all. Enter horizontal parenting. This style allows for parents to still be in the action with the kids while also getting to rest the body for a bit.
Lying down doesn’t mean parents can’t talk. Parents can still interact, giggle, laugh, direct, and be involved in playtime with the children. Think of when your child wakes you up hours before the sun, and you answer a gauntlet of questions without opening your eyes. You can be interactive and not jump around the house after your child every second of every day.
Horizontal parenting games and activities
- Human race track
- Play tic-tac-toe
- Life-sized dress-up doll
- Spa time
- Hair salon
- Portrait drawing
Draw a race track on the back of a shirt, put the shirt on, and then let the kids race around on your back. The kids get to play with you, and you get a nice massage. Another way to stay still and place is to draw a tic-tac-toe board on the back of a T-shirt and have the kids play a few games.
Other fun horizontal parenting hacks are to lie down and let your child dress you up as they want to, applying makeup, creams, or whatever else you don’t mind them putting on your face. You could turn a room into a spa and let your child apply lotions, rub your face with cotton balls with or without toner, or give your face a massage with something like coconut oil.
If you don’t mind sitting still, have your child open a hair salon. Let your kid get out clips, bows, brushes, and whatever hair products you don’t mind them using. While you sit and have them do your hair, you could ask them questions about their day, talk about what you will do for the week, or ask them about their favorite things. It’s always a blast to see what kids do with your hair, so make sure you take pictures.
Another easy and fun horizontal parenting trick is to have your child draw a portrait of you while you lay there, nice and quietly on the couch, and set a timer if you think you might fall asleep. Not only will you get a little rest, but you will have a core memory of a drawing of how your child sees you. Other options are painting nails, reading, or on nice days, resting in the grass and describing what you see in the sky.
There isn’t a set rulebook of how to raise your kids, no matter how many books there are on the subject. We all have to do what we can to survive as parents, and each family unit will look different from day to day and even minute to minute. If mixing in horizontal parenting with another style gives you a bit of grace throughout your day, then see what other ideas and games you can come up with using this style.
Whatever parenting style your family decides to go with, the important part to remember is that you can still be the best parent you can be and not jump off the back of the couch with your child. It’s finding the balance of hard and soft moments in your journey, and horizontal parenting can be a tool to help with that.
