Tired Dad Perfects Art of ‘Horizontal Parenting’ so He Can Nap and Play

A Washington dad has found a creative new way of keeping his kids occupied while he catches up on a little sleep.

Parenting is tiring, especially in the first few years. In 2019, a study published in the journal Sleep estimated that new parents face an eye-watering six years of sleep deprivation.

Finding time to catch up on that rest while looking after young children is difficult, but it’s not impossible as William Zandstra from Seattle has shown.

In a video posted to Instagram, Zandstra’s wife, Elly, revealed her husband has become a “master of horizontal parenting.”

Zandstra has devised a series of games and activities that keep his kids busy and engaged with him while, at the same time, he is able to lie down and sleep.

Zandstra told Newsweek from the start the challenge has been “finding something that is engaging and rewarding enough for the kids yet restful for me.”

“It’s a tricky balance for sure,” he said.

He appears to have found that balance though, if the games showcased in Elly’s video are anything to go by.

The clip showcases a selection of the games Zandstra is able to play with his kids while enjoying a much-needed snooze.

According to Elly, “it all started with an idea he had about a massage roller car.” That evolved into a game in which Zandstra lies face down while his kids drive the roller car around a road scene he’s drawn out on the back of a T-shirt.

Things quickly escalated from there. Since then, Zandstra had been able to turn himself into a “dress-up doll” lying on his back while his kids arrange pieces of felt in the shape of clothes on him.

He’s also turned his chest into a tic-tac-toe board for his kids to use and a “zen garden” for his kids to manage using a back-scratcher.

His crowning achievement though has to be the “DIY whack-a-mole” with Zandstra hiding under a homemade cardboard whack-a-mole board, popping up his hand every now and then as part of the game.

Zandstra said the whack-a-mole is his favorite creation and is the most popular with his kids. Not every idea he’s had has worked out.

“I had an elaborate bowling idea that was frankly over complicated,” he said. “Way too many pieces to juggle especially with kids.”

His efforts have proven popular on Instagram, with viewers flocking to praise his creative approach in the comments section on Elly’s video.

“So smart,” one commented, “this is genius,” another added. The video also proved an unintended source of inspiration to some.

One user wrote: “As a disabled parent, thank you for these amazing ways to play!” Another agreed: “My boys would be so happy to have me on the floor with them! I haven’t been able to due to an upcoming hip surgery but I can definitely lay down like this genius of a man!”

Replying to the comments, Elly said: “This is so heartwarming to hear.”

Elly would love to see Zandstra collaborate with someone on a book showcasing all his ideas. In the meantime, he has a little advice for any moms or dads wanting to follow in his footsteps.

“Keep things simple and listen to your kids,” he said. “Often inspiration for activities, crafts, or dress up comes from things they play with or shown interest in recently. I just take that established interest and crank it up.”