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!

Omg this has given me flashbacks to a year of "pony club" (not actual posh pony club). 12 months and i still didnt understand the rules but the day she started school we all sat about wishing she was there to make us play it! *
*we got over it pdq

My girl used to play funerals. Once she asked me to make the 'rip sign'.

Did she grow up to be a goth?

I remember spending hours and hours in imaginary worlds as a child. It's nice to play with them but don't feel bad about encouraging solo pretend play either. That's how they get really immersed in their imaginary world.

We had a tea party every morning for about two hours. I drank a lot of pretend tea. It was always a birthday tea, and the lucky few invites teddies got to take turns having a birthday and blowing out the pretend candles on the pretend cake. It was never my birthday.

Then there was Postman Pat - I had to be the recipient of the delivery, and I couldn't receive it anywhere except sat on the floor in the living room doing nothing else but waiting to receive my parcel.

Then I made the grave mistake of buying her a doctor's kit. To be fair I did get to lie down for that one (being so gravely ill) but man she prodded me so hard! She would keep being bleeped to go and see another patient and woe betide if I dared to vacate my sick bed while she was away.

Luckily after some months I managed to evolve it into Vets, and she operated on her soft toys after that. Result!!!!

My children are in their 20s and I'm having flashbacks about this sort of game. "Pick a card, any card" was my son's saying, followed by heavy breathing as he tried to figure out which card you'd picked.

Pmsl!

• "Good Morning Children" No! That's Not it. You should have said Good Morning everybody. Withering stare.*

Lol!! I love that we've all suffered it I honestly thought it was my own experiences!

Amazon tells me we have watched Peter Rabbit over 800 times at the demand of our 2 yo

Mine likes recreating sleeping beauty. I have to be the prince coming to wake her up. Sadly I very rarely get to be the sleeping one. She also does a good turn as a sick patient, often when I’m about to leave and with no warning. She’ll suddenly be in bed saying I’m poorly mummy so there is a moment of doubt whether she’s about to vom everywhere or whether she just wants to pretend.

Oh God, I hate pretend play! DD is 5 and her favourite word is still "pretend", and it immediately makes my shoulders sag. I'll play board games, colour, do puzzles, watch Cbeebies... anything else!

Sometimes she reenacts her whole school day, which is great because I get to learn what she's been doing (ask her and I get the usual "don't remember") but she wants me to be every single child in her class and that gets draining after about two seconds. Especially the register!

Other times it's "pretend we're X and Y from [TV show/film/book/game]". That's a bit better because all I have to do is remember to call her X and respond to Y. Then she gets cross if I forget to refer to DH as A and DS as B, despite DH not being there and DS only being 10 months.

And it's the telling me what to be and say that makes me shut down completely. ("No Mum, you're Anna and you say...")

Soul destroying!

Don't understand why you just don't tell them you are busy and have things to do.

Ds1 has pda and couldn't actually play with his toys, but would happily watch me play with them for him. I bought him a small plastic house with a family and a dog and I'd have to make up stories about the family as they went around the house.

I ended up including other toys such as an action figure who was the family's social worker and toy insects, who would attack the house. I think the mum ended up as a drunk and the dad ran off with the dog. It drove me mad.

My most baffling experience was in a car park where he demanded I played with him. He ran around shouting "play Romans with me mummy, play Romans"......I just flat out refused on that occasion.

Don't understand why you just don't tell them you are busy and have things to do.

Why would anybody do that? Have you forgotten what it is like to be a child? Wanting to play? Right now my kids are playing happily with each other. Later they might want mummy or daddy to join in. Spending time with your child on your childs terms is actually ok!

Don't understand why you just don't tell them you are busy and have things to do.

exactly.
I never bother with all that nonsense, adults don't need to be involved in children play.

It frees time to do all the chores and allow us to go out all day. Better than being stuck home all day, surely!

I mean, if you enjoy playing with your kids, it's fab, but if you can't be bothered, it's fab too.

Not playing with your children seems harsh. And a bit Victorian.

One of the happiest days ever, dropping that sodding doctor kit off at the charity shop after years of “being doctored” . I developed an almost pathological hatred for the round, pretend white bandage thing that was constantly being rammed onto my big toe.
Hang in there. You’ll look back very fondly in years to come. And can look forward to getting your revenge by buying a nice, shiny new doctor kit for grandchildren, mwah-ha-ha!

Oh God, I hate the battle games which just consist of knocking the hell out of little army men and making fighting noises. Exhausting and boring.

Brings back memories of when mine were little. My dds favourite game was hamster house. I used to have to be a hamster called Alison and live under the dining room table where she used to bring me little pretend treats of food and pretend hamster toys. I couldn’t ad lib or change the story and it was tedious beyond words. Thing is I thought I was helping make memories for her, but she can’t even remember the game 15 years later!

I would have felt mean to "just say no".
I think for a lot of Pp its the monotony/tedium of playing the same game day in/day out than make believe play per se, but saying no every time unless you really couldnt spare 15 min , to me would be a bit mean . Having said that, i am a bit 🙄 about people who "can't/won't " play as if its not in their skill set like the rest of us 20/30 somethings eagerly await the next session of trains/fairy doctors/dinosaurs/farms etc!

Is there a sneaky way around it? Can you both sit down and write a story about fairy doctors? Or quietly draw pictures of fairy doctors?

Please don't tell me some people don't have the wit to see that a thread about reluctantly "playing fairy doctors" is light fucking hearted

Yes, we all know we should play with our children or we are mean Victorians who have forgotten what's it's like to be a child, or just very shit parents I refuse to feel shame however for saying I am naturally shit at this part of parenting (or was shit, thankfully mine are older now). I didn't enjoy it, I felt awkward and bored and I probably wasn't as enthusiastic as a parent who is naturally good at this sort of thing. We all have different strengths! I liked reading stories and I actually do like having teenagers/older DC in general - this is an "easier" part of parenting for me. It's the opposite for some of my friends. Loved toddlers, hated the teenagers.

Can't we keep this thread all smiley without judging? It's actually been quite adorable reading about all the other miniature doctors and shop assistants (mine always said "thank you Modom" instead of "thank you Madam") but I think it's also nice for people to hear others say "yeah I hated that bit too"

Not playing with your children seems harsh. And a bit Victorian.

it's not harsh, it's a choice. Others are happy to have the tv on all day and leave their kids in front of it for hours. When I am home, I have chores to do, and no time or will to play. As soon as it's done, I take my kids out. I don't think they are missing out on much.

I have seen parents "playing" whilst keeping an eye on their phone. Sounds much worst to me.

I am not good at imaginary games so I got my children 'making and doing' instead, and wheeled in their friends for the imaginary stuff.

As soon as it's done, I take my kids out. I don't think they are missing out on much

My dd wants to play pretend when we're out too! There's really no escaping it . It brings her so much joy I don't mind indulging her most of the time.

This thread has just brought back a lovely memory to me. When I was little I had a walking and talking doll who I loved to bits. I wasn’t allowed to take her out on days out in case she got lost so used to leave her at home colouring. There always used to be a picture waiting when we got home which I was convinced that my doll had drawn for me. Years later over several glasses of wine my DM told me about how DF used to distract me while she ran back inside and quickly drew me a picture. My DPs are no longer alive so thank you OP for reminding me of this.

That's so so lovely @YoThePussy