Do you play with your children?

[Gafan]

I have a 8 year-old boy and we do arts and crafts, films and go out but we don't sit and play because I just don't like it. I know it sounds harsh but I'm not very good at imaginative play so I have always struggled with anything like this.
Also my son has quite a few issues with things and when he plays he doesn't like anyone else's rules , spontaneity so I don't enjoy it either.
Is this wierd / do I need to make more effort.
I just feel lately alot of guilt.

Thanks

Nope, never. It was just too boring. It’s really not normal for an adult to be on the same level as a 2/3/4/5yo - it’ll always be the parent indulging the child. I do plenty of that in other parts of their lives, and they had friends and siblings their own age to play with. I’ve never bought into the whole “friends with my kids” thing. I think it’s very damaging for children. They need parents to parent, teachers to teach, and friends to be friends with.

Yes I did. Imaginary games were my favourite types of play with my DC. Never forget them asking me to pretend to be their mummy 😂

I used to love playing pretend with my daughter, she's an imaginative little soul and I was the same as a kid so it was easy to recapture it and join in with her games. The bloody "council meetings" we used to have with all her toys were my favourite, she took it so seriously. Aaah I miss it. She's 16 now so those days are gone, but I used to really love it.

I'd say it's ok if you don't though honestly. Engaging with kids comes in many different forms, you do what works for you and yours.

Card/board games, wii sports, movie nights and the odd kick about with a football.
mine are 9 and 11 and they do their own thing most of the time.

I do with my girl, she likes board games and I've helped her with Lego Friends sets, she also likes to initiate play fighting.

I suppose I do things with her, like walking to Tynemouth to browse in Raspberry Bazaar and the market in the Metro station. Walking up to the little nature reserve and butterfly hunting, looking at birds and seals with our binoculars.

She likes (just a few minutes at a time) to help chop kindling wood and she'll have a go with the chainsaw, to cut firewood.

I have an 8yo DD, she doesn't so imaginative play/dolls/toys any more but we play card and board games, we make music recordings and videos together (we both sing and I play instruments) and we do puzzle games (escape room type things) together on her iPad. Much more fun for me than pretend play, which she didn't ever really want to do with me anyway but was pretty short lived.