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Original poster

How much time do you spend playing with your child every day ?

76 replies

mummyoftwos · 23/05/2024 04:43

I mean engaging actively in- building a tower or drawing something / sticker books together or anything else really?

My kids are 2 and 4.

I ask because we've just come to visit grandma who spends ages playing with them and I noticed just how happy they are and also how balanced they seem ( especially 4 year old ).

So it made me think that maybe I don't do it enough.

OP posts:
Chaosx3x · 23/05/2024 05:20

My big two are 5 and 3 and to be honest I spend very little time directly playing with them. I feel like my role is to facilitate them to play independently and with each other and will only actively join in if absolutely necessary 😂 the main things I do with them are reading books and puzzles and helping with practical things if needed with crafts/playdoh. We also do baking/cooking and they help me round the house and with things for the baby. I don’t do any sort of pretend play with them at all really but this is how parenting has been for the majority of history, most parents in most cultures and times do not have endless hours to spend “entertaining” children, they have households to run and things to be getting on with. My older two do all their pretend play either together or alone, so in your shoes I’d be trying to facilitate this as much as possible. Sometimes playing with them is fun but I don’t think it’s your main job as a parent. There’s some pretty good research evidence as well to suggest that play should be child-led and adults should stay out of it as much as possible!

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