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May 22
9m 43s

Playtime With Purpose

Louloua Smadi El Hajj
About this episode

If you’ve ever sat on the floor surrounded by toys thinking, “What am I even doing?” — this episode is for you.

I used to hear “Just play with him, that’s how he’ll learn!” all the time when my son was little. So I tried. I got on the floor. I brought out the toys. I used every technique I knew as a professional. But it still felt… off. Boring. Exhausting. Honestly, like a waste of time.

It wasn’t until I shifted how I saw play — not as a goal, but as a response — that things started to click.

In this solo episode, I’m sharing the exact mindset change that helped me turn play from something I dreaded into one of the most powerful tools for connection and learning with my child. Especially if your child is neurodivergent, this can be the missing piece that makes play feel meaningful again.

I’ll walk you through:

  • How to become more magnetic than a screen (without acting like a clown)

  • Why chasing milestones makes play harder — and what to do instead

  • The power of fast, positive feedback (for them and for you)

If play feels pointless, or like it only leads to shutdowns or meltdowns, maybe you don’t need to change what you’re doing… just how you’re looking at it.

This one’s especially for the tired parents who’ve quietly given up on play. There’s another way—and it works. Head to www.allbrainsgrow.com for resources on how best to support your neurodivergent child.

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