I get to see my nephew every 6 months if I’m lucky, and every 12 months in a normal year. I wish our reunions were more frequent.
A consistent theme each time were together is play. He’s a boy’s boy, so there’s a lot of wrestling, and running races, and lego building.
I used to think I was being helpful by suggesting activities, or leading the play session. But I’ve since switched to allowing my nephew to do all the leading. He decides what games we play and how we play them.
Young kids live a pretty structured life with school and their parents deciding what happens most hours of the day. But play time is different. It’s the one time where there are few limits, and they can decide how everything works.
I love seeing my nephew create worlds, and games, and rules, and ideas for how we should play. Seeing his creativity at work is a joy, because he’s not bound by anything.