Reply to Indulging boring/ annoying pretend play

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am the exact opposite. I believe kids learn things through repetition, so am happy to indulge it. My LO doesn't have trouble playing with other kids, so I figure why not let her have an environment where she can experiment with controlling both sides. But she starts making changes herself after a while and I would find the game equally boring if she didn't tell me what to do, so it doesn't really make a difference to me.[/quote]

Not OP but I thought the same thing as you until my 4 year old would get full out frustrated and angry when I didn't say things "just right" and since I'm not a mind-reader--it wasn't fun for anyone.  I also tell her that I will be the queen to her snow white (I do a great wicked queen cackle) and I will follow the story but I can't say things exactly. She wasn't happy at first but now she is.  Compromise--meet her halfway. And she does plenty of independent play too, we just also do this.[/quote]
 They want things "just right" because it is one of the few times in their lives as a four yr old that they can truly control ANYTHING. It is their chance to "be the boss" , so to speak. Indulge them. The stage passes more quickly that way. You are NOT teaching them to be bossy by letting them dictate the way they play with their parents, or other adults close to them. They will act differently with children in most cases.
Frankly I see it as a chance to infuse manners, gently, into the play time with them. In a upbeat and playful way. I don't tell them I won't play with them unless I get my way too.[/quote]
Yeah but she gets angry when I don't do things to her exact specifications even when I try, it just turns into frustration city not because I'm not indulging but literally because I can't read her mind.  We play snow white 8-10 times in a row where I play the queen, the mirror, the dwarves, the queen as a hag, the dwarves again and then the prince.  She is always just snow white :).  We do it the same way each time but before she would say "now you say this" and if I had one word wrong she'd dissolve into tears (she's a high string kid). So my compromise is that I will act out our "play" and we essentially do it the same way each time but she can't tell me what to say.  It's a good compromise because she's no longer flipping out when I don't try to follow her exact script.[/quote]

From what you describe here, OP, it sounds like she is going through a phase. You seem to have reached a compromise that works for you. Yes it is boring for you to play this game. But being a good parent isn't always going to be fun and all about what you would rather be doing, right? I would bet that if you keep at for another period of time she will move on to something else. Be the adult and just play along her way for now. She is a very very small person and you can't expect her to be a mini adult.
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