To not want to play imaginary princess games ALL the time?

[Daffodilly]

DD is 4 and that is all she wants to do. Play princesses/mermaids/fairies. With me.

I don't want to! I find it sooo boring. I'll do other stuff - crafts, lego, reading, baking, playdoh, etc. I am just not into the imaginitive games. She is so delighted when I do play that I feel guilty not to. But...arghhhhh!

Well, it isn't my idea of fun either, but then again, perhaps if you indulge her as often as you can face it she will get bored of being a princess and play something else soon.

(At the moment, I constantly have to be a dinosuar and let DS ride on my back. Aargh!)

Princessy stuff is dull, and i would much rather that be the "play on your own" game I'm with the OP on this one.

I'm sooo with you OP. My DD is also four and to be honest there are only so many times I can play princesses/mermaid/tea party/school. It is driving me nuts and I feel really really guilty.

I think it is imaginative play I struggle with. I remember loving it as a child and I am pleased DD likes these games - she needs to props and it is v quick to tidy up. Great that she has good imagination.

But I'd rather sit and play with physical things - I'm better at DS(2 yrs) cars, marbles, trains, lego.

Roll on the day when HE is old enough to join in her games.

That was needs "no props"!

YANBU, just don't do it. I do activities with my 4 year old dd (painting reading making stuff etc.) but imaginary games of this type are something i expect her to do on her own with her dolls.

Sleeping beauty is a great game..

Ah but you can turn imaginary games to your advantage to get them to do things you'd like done. ie - When I want DS2 to hurry up on the way to school I say "How about we play that game where we're both huskies and have to make it to base camp before the doors close?" and he hurries up. I do look slightly crazy calling "come on puppy!" to a 7 year old all the way to school but it works.

You could branch away from princesses and fairies into other things and that might brighten it up a bit.

I played loads of imaginitive games as a kid but I played them with my sibs, friends or dolls and teddies. Don't ever remember my parents joining in this stuff although mum happy to make stuff with us and dad to let us ride on his back or we'd stand on his hands on the floor and he'd lift us up whilst lying on his back (must have been very small for that one), although I remember him swinging his feet up and we put our chests on them and swung through the air whilst his hands lifted our feet up.

I played some imiginary games with my kids but got bored of them quickly and it was easier when there were 2 of them.

I think you need to invite some like-minded four year old over. A lot! I haven't had this as each of my boys has a sibling close in age so they inflict this kind of thing on each other rather than on me. This would drive me nuts!

Thanks. Glad it isn't just me that isn't keen. Agreed you can sometimes use it to your advantage. The day DD was a labrador was our fastest ever walk to nursery as I threw the invisible ball all the way there.

Playmates it is then.

Thanks for helping assuage my guilt somewhat!