AIBU to refuse to play "fairy doctors" for the millionth time?

[olivesandolives]

I'm a sahm, picked dd up from pre school and as soon as we get home she asks to play "fairy doctors". We've played this all week and I just can't do it, I offered alternatives, play doh, drawing, bricks, puzzles, anything but bloody fairy doctors! She got quite upset but I held my ground and now she's sulking.

I'm tired, her little brother starts the day at 5am and by Friday afternoon I'm done! I've now stuck the tv on.

She LOVES pretend play, but it is THE most draining game ever!

Daughter no 2 had the steel will of Margaret Thatcher and had a script in her head that I should just know.
Play schools
"Good Morning Children"
No! That's Not it. You should have said Good Morning everybody.
Withering stare.

DD has a script for the 'pet lorry' game, during which the aforementioned pet lorry drops a box off at the living room door, I 'open' it to.discover whatever kind of pet DD is pretending to be, and I have to introduce her to her new home, feed her, play with her and put her to bed. It's a slight improvement on its predecessor 'bunny shop', where I had to go to the shop, choose my bunny and carry it home before doing the above.

Like others, it is tightly scripted and deviations are unacceptable.

I was awful at pretend play and have blocked it out.

Loving these. What age does imaginary play start? I'm kind of looking forward to it and dreading it in equal measure 😆

Maybe you can play fairy doctor's where one fairy is so ill she's forgotten how to walk and talk.. it's a medical emergency! Therefore fairy doctor has to get all her papers in order and begin working on her case.. alone. No? Worth a shot?

Good luck OP! There will come a time where you will miss playing fairy doctor's - honestly .

I never did any of this. They had to amuse themselves- found it so tedious. Luckily my dc were all close in age.

I didn't mind craft, baking , board games or reading to them but that was about it

Can't you just say you are busy.

My girl used to play funerals. Once she asked me to make the 'rip sign'. To me ages to figure out she meant the gravestone (as in RIP - rest in peace).
I don't even know how she even knew what a funeral was.

My least favourite game was traffic lights 🤣😜
Ds1 and ds2 would ride round circle (at end of cul de sac) and I would call out red, orange green over and over and over ...
Lol not missing it

I've never played with any of my kids. When they are little and home with me, they play whilst I do the chores - or they free to help if they wish.

We can bake together, garden, but playing is for them, their siblings and friends when they are around, or by themselves if they are alone.

Then we go out for the day and they have all my attention. Works wonderfully for us.

My DS also had a script and got very annoyed with any deviations. His soft toys (which I had to voice, but only according to the script) had many predicaments and woe was me if I suggested solutions in order to wind the game up.

He also said 'rip' for R I P.

Imaginary play is hell.

Fairy doctors is so sweet. Though I would probably also be tearing my hair out if I had to play it daily.

I don't mind pretend play, but I loathe the "You say this. Now you say this. No, say that." Aargh.

Suggest playing schools. Make a register and everything.

You pretend to be a particularly naughty child who needs to be left in "time out" while everyone else carries on with their lessons.

Time out is on the sofa, with a cup of tea.

How is more attention not being paid to the PP who was being a bathroom door 'wrong?'

Well, Badness, there is a right way and a wrong way to be a bathroom door, after all.

@badness exactly. That comment made me laugh like a drain. The thought of a grown woman pretending to be a bathroom door... and getting it wrong to boot!!!

Maybe the theory to why I had so many dc is because I can't do games!! As an only dc I never had anyone to play with.

My DD loved loved loved imaginative play like this. Regrettably I was very good at it but lacked patience to play for long. So she'd off with her current favourite game but I'd deviate from the script (to preserve sanity) which you could see her light up with excitement. But then she'd want to play that version again (and again). Luckily my Mum was brilliant and patient.
DD tells me she is still disappointed by me baling out before she was played out..

Exactly Pamela.

We are currently playing - Robot shoots Barbie (over and over and over and over)

We pushed cars around a car mat for MONTHS. Should destroying

Mine loves imaginary play and is crap playing on their own. Lose/lose for me!

The only way I can get a bit of peace is to put the TV on.

DD2(11) wanted to know why I was laughing. I explained. Her response: "They made me be a cod!"

She has DD1 6 years older and DS 3 years older and at some point when I'd stopped having to be various cats stuck up trees and people stuck on roofs for DS to come and rescue as Fireman Sam (in costume), and they could inflict imaginative play on each other instead, they had a game where DD1 was a fishmonger and DS was a customer (in costume) and poor DD2 was the cod.

Flip it. You’re the fairy.

DD used to love putting mummy or daddy to bed. We lay on the floor, she covered us with a blanket and “read” us a story.

We often snoozed. 😁

I remember the year I got hungry hippos for Christmas

No one was allowed in the house till we had played it

I'm in the midst of having to play Spider-Man games EVERY. SINGLE. MINUTE.

I'm rubbish at imagination play. I'll do games, play musical instruments, craft for ages, playdoh, jigsaw but no imaginary play.

She went through a phase we while back of playing at Xmas morning. Toys were wrapped in blankets and then santa visited whilst people slept. Then big morning excitement and presents were unwrapped. Much exclaiming required.

And repeat. Changing roles each time.
Forever....

I don't miss it.