At Lirum Larum Leg, we genuinely strive to assist the grown-ups in children's lives, making it easy and clear and simple to create inspiring settings where play becomes a source of hygge, fun, presence, and immersion.
Therefore, it is with joy that we, in collaboration with experts Fie Hørby and Mie Kaae from Blackbird Institute, will give you tips and inspiration for life with children each week. Below are Mie's tips on how to slow down in a busy everyday life and let jigsaw puzzles bring the family together.
Enjoy jigsaw puzzles together
Most small children love doing jigsaw puzzles. The joy of repetition when they do the same puzzle for the 10th and 20th time is contagious. Similarly, the pleasure they find in placing the last piece and seeing the finished result - again and again, is significant. Doing jigsaw puzzles in every way is an activity that brings joy and immersion for both large and small children - and their parents.
When we do jigsaw puzzles, we not only increase concentration and train ourselves to think logically; we also learn to see both the parts and the whole simultaneously, which ultimately affects our empathy, presence, and inclusivity as human beings.
Unfortunately, many of us forget about jigsaw puzzles when children start school, but it's actually a time when we can and should bring them out again. In a busy everyday life where smartphones, Snapchat, games on phones, etc., are a natural part of many children's lives, kids indirectly learn that their needs are met immediately. We may find them becoming restless, impatient, having difficulty concentrating, and quickly giving up on tasks that require perseverance.
Here, the jigsaw puzzle is a truly effective way to support and help our children slow down and increase their concentration skills. Fortunately, our brains are malleable, somewhat like a muscle that needs exercise. When we sit together and work on jigsaw puzzles, or when we come and go from a large jigsaw puzzle that may take weeks to complete, we teach our children to focus, think logically, transition from parts to wholes, think long-term, be patient, enduring and perhaps best of all, understand that not everything needs to happen quickly.
Living slower and truly learning to relax positively impacts our bodies, minds, concentration abilities, school life, work life, love, and family life.
Find a nice, calm spot where you can work on a jigsaw puzzle undisturbed - in terms of both time and practicality. It is unfortunate to have to rush through it or clean it up because the table is needed for dinner or homework, for example.
Choose a jigsaw puzzle that matches your child's age and interests. My daughter, who is 2 years old, loves animals, so this jigsaw puzzle could be fun for her. My sons, aged 10 and 12 years, are both interested in geography, so observation jigsaw puzzles with world maps or themes of different cultures would be fun for them.
A great way to strengthen the presence, unity, and community within the family is to sit together calmly and peacefully and do jigsaw puzzles. You can set aside a couple of evenings or spend an entire Saturday morning doing nothing but puzzles together.
When we sit together and put together a jigsaw puzzle, it is quality time of meaningful interaction, where the conversation often flows a bit differently on both large and small topics. It can be a valuable time together where we can also gain insights into how we are truly feeling.
Another way to incorporate moments of calm, community, and fun into the family is by setting up a space in the room where you most often gather and working on a jigsaw puzzle whenever the time and mood naturally arise. By coming and going in this way, we allow our inner desire for community, play, immersion, and calm to emerge - a side of ourselves that many, both big and small, can greatly benefit from getting to know better.
By Mie Kaae, March 9th, 2018
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The Blackbird Institute is a family therapy institute offering education in relational competence, family counseling, and family therapy. The institute was founded by Fie Hørby and Mie Kaae.
Fie Hørby is a psycho- and family therapist and mother of Rumle, 16 years old, Liv, 11 years old, and Isak, 0 year old. She is the author of the bestseller "Drop Opdragelsen!" and the book "Om teenagere – for forældre".
Mie Kaae holds a degree in psychology and communication, is the author of the book "Hvad vil du virkelig?" and is trained in dance and body therapy. Mie is also a mother of three - Marvin, 12 years old, Linus, 10 years old, and Havanna, 2 years old.
Learn more about the Blackbird Institute here
