Parents, you could use an assistant. I'm serious, being a parent is full time and non stop and you need an assistant! How great would it be to just point out a task that needs to be done and you have someone who can just handle it? While we at PLA can't be around to help with all of the things you need to accomplish we can be your assistant for one of the most important, relational time with your kids. As a service based on taking care of the details to allow for relational connections with your kids, we thrive on filling in the gaps for parents. Working with various parents, we have heard the following top five phrases repeated and they have been major motivators in shaping PLAtime:
5) "I am tired of toys. They are everywhere and our house always feels cluttered." Toys can take over and we have bought the lie that we need new toys for each new developmental stage. PLAtime uses common items and pushes back on that deception. These items can be either packed away in the box (smaller than an average shoe box) and used again in the same season next year or they can be incorporated into the household items to bring back fun memories during teeth-brushing (i.e. the timer from the Summer '17 box). PLAtime also comes with Exended PLA for older ages so items can be used repeatedly throughout the years!
4) "I am divorced. My child/ grandchild only visits for short visits. We don't have much time together." Relational connection is PLAtime's primary goal. It creates fun memories with less competition than traditional games and it uses memory associations with everyday items the child will see when they are not in your presence. (i.e. a kitchen utensil).
3)" I don't know what to do. I have a Master's in Business/Accounting/etc. but I don't know about how kids develop." PLAtime comes with detailed instructions and the specific goal to work on. Many times, traditional toys or games require the child to do multiple concepts at once to enjoy effective play (i.e. take turns, sort, match, follow directions, and use eye-hand coordination). PLAtime focuses on a Primary Key Target during the activity so parents know the exact target. The activity can be repeated later to target a Secondary concept.
2) "I don't have a lot of money." PLAtime keeps the cost low. With several activities per box, we target $1.50 per activity. We keep the cost low by repeating the use of the item in a different way in another activity as well as ordering items in bulk and dispersing them to our customers.
1) "I don't get enough good time with my child! We are just so busy!" This by far is the number one thing we hear and what drives PLAtime. We want parents and children to spend quality time together. We serve parents by doing the planning, prep, wrapping of Ninja Drops, and getting items in the same space so the parent can use the time they would normally spend doing the creating and gathering in actual one-on-one, face-to-face or shoulder-to-shoulder experiences with their child.
The parenting phase flies by so fast! It also happens often simultaneously with so many other developmental events in our own adult lives - from building careers to spiritual growth, from medical challenges to maturing marriages, mixed in with aging parents, homes, and bodies and grieving our own losses. Time with our children while they are most present can get lost in the shuffle because it can seem like the kids are always there. One day the reality that this season has limits will set in and when it does we want to have helped parents squeeze every ounce of relationship from those years.
PLA Well!