If my child is too sick to go to school, he/she is probably too sick to play at The Sandbox.

If my child runs from exhibit to exhibit, I will follow. I cannot assume the child will return to me or even know that I am missing.

Sometimes there are no warning signs before a child has an “accident,” but when there are warning signs I must act, no matter how much fun we are having. Additionally, if my child has an “accident,” I won’t hide it, ignore it or run away. I will tell someone.

Sometimes trying to prevent a tantrum can cause an even bigger tantrum.

If my child has developed an elaborate play scenario and only wants to play at one exhibit for the entire visit, I will have patience, no matter how many other exhibits I want to play at.

If my child thinks it is fun to throw everything on the ground she/he will also learn the joy of picking everything up. Singing a clean- up song helps the process.

Encouraging my child to share can mean more fun for everyone.

If my child wants to ring the bell on the boat over and over again, I will be patient and thankful that I don’t have a giant bell and boat at home.

I am not the director of my child’s play; I am only a supporting cast member. This may include being the “foreman” of a new building or being a “passenger” on a cross-country flight.

If my child is eating a puzzle piece, a fake carrot, a stuffed animal, or any other object that should not be gnawed on, I will remove the object immediately and wipe it off. No one likes to encounter a mysteriously wet object.

I will only threaten to leave The Sandbox if I really plan to leave.

Sometimes no matter how skilled I am as a parent or how wonderful my children are, they will break something, hit someone and/or refuse to share. When this happens, I need to react appropriately. If I ignore my child’s behavior no one will want to play with my child or me.

Parents are good playmates for their children and vice versa. Sometimes the person a child wants to play with the most is his/her parent.

I will refrain from using the word “no” to being a sentence, as in “No, that’s not how to do it.” Instead, I will encourage my child with suggestions, rather than instructions and applaud the result, no matter how odd.

I will not sit and talk on my cell phone or conduct business while my child is waiting to play with me.

When my child and I are playing make-believe, I must believe.

- Modified from an article written by the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center, Honolulu, Hawaii