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The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
1KHO 905: Play is the Essence of Parenting | Dr. Kim Van Dusen, Parenting Through Play
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What if one of the most effective parenting tools isn’t another consequence or reward, but play? Ginny is joined by Dr. Kim Van Dusen, licensed marriage and family therapist, registered play therapist, and author of Parenting Through Play, to explore how play can transform challenging behavior, strengthen connection, and bring more peace into family life. Dr. Kim explains why play is a child’s natural language and shares simple ways parents can use it to diffuse power struggles, ease transitions, and encourage cooperation without abandoning healthy boundaries. They also discuss the importance of decompression time, why saying “yes” more often can reduce conflict, and how parents can…