To be really bad at playing?

[ShabbyAbby]

Please tell me I'm not the only one who just can't do imaginative play? I dread the DCs wanting to play this way. I am happy to play board games, hide and seek, chase, read stories, sing songs and rhymes, and take them to toddler groups/soft play/cinema/bowling/swimming/activities. I'm up for card games, movie nights, pampering, sorting/tidying games, lego/building and making music. Always up for a cuddle or a chat. Even baking things or crafts on occasion.
But I just cannot do imaginative play. I am just so bad at it and feel so self conscious and ridiculous and have no ideas. Am I being U to just not play imaginative games? Surely they can play with their friends (or each other)? They just end up frustrated/disappointed (you aren't even trying mummy) and I end up drained so I'd rather just say "no, mummy can't play make believe because mummy is really bad at it."

Urghhhh, I hate it and I don't know why. I love crafts, boardgames, trampolining, literally anything else but that.

I can manage ‘arrange the dolls house furniture’ and ‘line up all the cars’ but that’s as far as I can go.

Haha, this brought back memories. I hated it too.

I got quite good at creating a passive role for myself, though. So if we were playing doctors, for instance, I’d lie on the couch and be the patient, and let my DC ‘treat’ me.

Another good thing to do is really ham it up - so if you’re playing cafe’s, get them to bring you a cup of tea, then pretend to splurt it all over the place because the milk’s off, or there’s no sugar, or whatever. Mine used to giggle like mad when I did that, and just get me to do it over and over again, which meant I didn’t have to think of anything new for ages.

Aww, I’m feeling all wistful now...

I find it mind-numbingly boring and really difficult to do. Happy to do baking, reading, board games, crafts endlessly but really struggle at the imaginative play. I normally give myself a 'passive' role like 'I"m arranging deliveries for you and teddy' and normally have the radio on in the background while I do it. I don't know why I struggle - we come up with endless creative and interesting craft projects.

I did manage a massive cop out the other day.

We were having a birthday party and I said "I'll be the mummy and order the food on my phone" so that was 5 minutes of headspace and then again "now I'm going to google the directions to the party"

Obvs that's what mums do Y'know! Order stuff and google stuff on their phones! I was quite impressed with myself, but apparently two was the maximum for that.

"You need to put your phone on charge now and be the DJ"

Fml

The best ones are doctors, father Christmas and tooth fairy. They all involve you lying down, being asleep and not having to do much.

‘I’m a tiger asleep in the jungle and you have to not wake me up’

‘I’m the Sleeping Beauty and you are the prince/princess who has come to rescue me. You have to hack your way through a massive jungle, so massive that it takes two days and two nights to get through, so you’ll have to do camping. Let’s put a sheet over these two chairs for your tent, and the sofa is my tower’.

Zzzzzzzzz

I can do puzzles and books and drawing for hours. But I think that’s because I’m lazy. Imaginative play seemed to just involve running round the house so far (“you be the Gruffalo and chase me”) and ugh I don’t want to do that.

Everyone enjoys different bits of parenting and there's nothing wrong with that! I'm actually in the (very small) camp of mums who love pretend play. Don't ask me why, but I first decided I wanted a child after an hour of playing "let's wake up. Now let's run away from foxes. Now let's go to bed" on a loop with my three year-old godson. On the other hand, I'd rather eat a whole set of patio furniture than look after a newborn again, and I don't "get" board games.

My son is too young for this yet so haven't been put in this position!! However I can never remember actually being played with like this as a child by my parents and I turned out fine. I used to play by myself or a friend. I do think sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves to be entertaining 24 hours a day

Definitely your best role option is:

• Patient (this is the best one)

-Customer at hair dreSSERS -pupil (they are teacher) (you can just do as you are told! -customer in cafe (they make a menu etc)

But I usually get the 'Big sister' role 😫 my eldest (9) is mummy and my youngest (7) is the dog 🤣☺️

I agree with 'wecandothis': everyone enjoys different parts of parenting. I am very good at imaginative play, but only because I only did it occasionally. I hate messy play and used to be grateful that nursery did painting, gooey stuff, slime and cooking. I am very good at cuddles and snuggling up watching tv. ie doing as little as possible.

Stop giving yourself a hard time. No one ever becomes damaged and neglected, from a parent who didn't enjoy one aspect of parenting!!

I was awful at pretend play. Nearly dislocated my jaw yawning at having to do stories about toys. It seems a lot of dcs are similar, as my dd in particular insisted on a "script" from which I was not allowed to deviate (for my own amusement).

I remember going to a park with a woman I met at a group. I was assuming the two toddlers would play together and I'd talk to the mum. Oh, no. She re-enacted the whole "Going on a Bear Hunt" whilst I hovered around awkwardly. She was hurling herself around, crawling through the grass, even leaping up into a tree. I had no idea some parents made such an effort .

Me! I hate it. DD is 5 and would happily spend all day playing role play and imaginary games. She's pretty much stopped asking me to do it now and we do other stuff together. My stepdad however gets the brunt of it as he never says no and is pretty good at it.

@IrmaFayLear haha that made me laugh

I hate it, I don't do it.

Thanks fuck I had twins who can do together.

I do baking, craft, outside play, swimming, all that stuff but tea parties and shut I can't cope with.