Questions on Playing with Your Kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Janet Lansbury has great advice on this topic. Basically if you aren't "ALL IN" on the play, it's better to NOT do it, than to do it half way or resent it.

https://www.janetlansbury.com/2018/08/its-really-okay-to-say-no-to-playing-with-your-child-5-reasons/

I would say that I play directly with my kid about 15-30 minutes a day. And when I do that, I don't direct the play. I do whatever she suggests or directs. Other times, I will sit near her while she plays (folding laundry, etc.). Or I read a book, but I'll look up when she wants to show me something. And I engage with her at other times, so it's not like not playing with her means I'm ignoring her. But I agree that (1) it's not my job to play with her constantly and (2) it's better to play with her for a short time where I am all in than for a longer time where I'm distracted, resentful, or irritated.

Hope you're not one of those SAHMs who talks about how AMAZING it is that your kid is influenced by you all day long. Yikes.

You may hope she’s not one of those moms, but we know you’re an asshole. No hoping necessary.

[Anonymous]

Play dates. Lots of em. And going where other kids are, like the library and playground. I also don’t play with my kids but they have plenty of other kids in their life who do.

[Anonymous]

This seems like a relevant article to share...https://slate.com/human-interest/2019/03/parent-child-pretend-play-expectations.html

[Anonymous]

I don't get the push to play with your kids all the time. I love my parents, and they were fantastic, loving, engaged, affectionate parents, and they did not play with me very often as a little kid, in the sense of sitting with me and engaging in my imaginative play. And I don't think that I missed a thing. Actually, I think it was good for me.

[Anonymous]

I frankly dislike playing with my 6 year old. Barbies, make believe, dress up in costumes, tag, hide and seek, Legos. All normal fun stuff for a kid, but boring for an adult.

[Anonymous]

I think it's just not a good idea to take a kid that's been in daycare his whole life and coop him up with a newborn and no one to play with. Of course he's bored out of his mind. He is now at the age where socialization is actually important... and you took it away. If you don't want to end up with a miserable kid who resents the baby (and you, if you don't even like playing with him), I'd put him back in at least half-day preschool ASAP.

[Anonymous]

He needs to go to preschool. Seriously.

[Anonymous]

I agree that pulling a nearly school aged child from his group care where he had playmates and structure to hang home with a new SAHM and a newborn probably wasn’t a great idea for the 4 year old. He’s bored, of course he wants you to play with him.

FWIW, I hate playing. I am not the play parent. But I know that about myself and I would be a terrible SAHM.