I can't work out if I'm a helicopter parent or a neglectful one.
My six year old boy-girl twins seem to want to play with me ALL the time. I feel as though I'm struggling to keep on top of the basics such as housework and preparing meals because the children are forever pestering me to get involved with whatever they're up to.
I'm sure I just went off and played for hours on end when I was their age, without needing to be given guidance on what I should be doing. I feel that playing independently is something they should be better at doing by now. But they constantly interrupt whatever I'm up to - which I find strangely stressful, as I really hate leaving tasks half-finished.
Of course, I tell/encourage them to go off and play but I end up feeling that I'm being unfair for not giving them more attention and I get drawn into their games/activities. (I do enjoy playing with them - I just don't feel I have the time to do so as much as they would like.)
My partner and I spend far too much of our evenings catching up with all sorts of basic tasks that I really think I should have been able to accomplish during the day. He is working 8.30am-6pm from home at the moment. I lost my job when lockdown hit so I'm doing virtually all the home-schooling and childcare during those hours (though he does his share first thing in the morning and the evening and generally gives me a bit of child-free time over lunch too).
We have a large-ish house, a medium-sized and very safe garden, so I feel the children shouldn't need my near constant involvement in their play. They get on very well together by the way - it's not that I have to sort out lots of disputes between them.
So, how much of the day should six year olds be able to play independently? And what are people's top tips for getting them to do so if they're struggling with this?
Thank you for any advice on this.
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To ask whether 6 year olds should be able to play independently
16 replies
Spry · 31/05/2020 19:54
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