To not want to play with my kids?

[farmertom]

I have a two and a half year old who requires almost constant attention.
He has only just started to play independently and this only last for 10/15 mins MAX.
I have friends with kids the same age and they don't seem to play with them. Their kids just get on with it. I also have a baby.

I just find it so mind numbing and constant now.

How many people do play with their kids? Does anyone enjoy it?
I feel guilty for feeling this way.

Also it seems some kids just play better by themselves and others can't? Or am I just a crappy parent who's created a dependent toddler who relies on me for all his entertainment 😭

I don't enjoy playing with younger kids , now my eldest is almost 7 it's better as we play actual games. My kids are watching far too much tv at mo tho!

My goodness, do I relate to this thread. My DSD8 is simply incapable of playing on her own. As soon as she arrives and our house, she needs to be entertained; she does not know how to play on her own.

I've decided (to myself!) that I don't mind playing a bit of Minecraft with her, but that I will not dedicate hours of my life to playing schools with her. I think my fiance is beginning to realise this is incredibly tiresome as well. She asked us to play with her the other week and we both declined (we had literally just got indoors from a long play at the park with the puppy and DSD) and she was incredibly put out. I suggested that she could set up her cuddly toys as students, and she made it clear to me that it was the most ridiculous idea anyone could have come up with!

I cannot understand how an 8-year-old does not know how to play on her own. Mind boggling!

I don’t like playing

Happy to do some baking or the occasional puzzle but I don’t want to play bets or shops with my 3 year old

@Rebelwithallthecause

I don’t like playing

Happy to do some baking or the occasional puzzle but I don’t want to play bets or shops with my 3 year old

I think you've got bigger worries than play if your 3 year old wants to play bets

Aw, I loved playing with mine, I miss it now they are grown up, play with dgc now.
We did most things together during the day, then me and dh would do housework when they were asleep.
They are only little for a short space of time, then they get to teens and are happy on their own.

my nearly 3yo is v different to my now 6yo at that age who was v independent. she is always keen to be with me, although more than happy to 'help' with whatever I'm doing - cooking, laundry etc. loves puzzles though, only so many times I can play sorry dino in 1 day!!

it certainly helps she can play with her big sister too. even if they fight loads if they're in the right mood they are lovely together.

These replies are making me feel much less shit. Thank you all for your honesty.

Also am loving some of these tips. I think I'm going to start dividing up my day into sections (About a Boy style 🤣) and work it that way.

I can't wait until they (hopefully) play together.

This lockdown has just given me such constant mum guilt about every single thing

Mine are 4.5 and 2.5. I do play with them for shorts bursts each day but they mostly play with eachother.

Mine are nearly 4 and 5.5. I've never really played with toys with them. I just can't bear it but that's not to say we don't spend time together. Thankfully they play together very well and also independently.

They like to bring me play food and set up pretend birthday parties for me which I'll happily go along with. They love making me cards.

Together we do more crafty stuff, baking, colouring in together, board games etc. We like to play games where they'll climb onto my back and pretend I'm a horse etc. We play hide and seek (I wear a blind fold to make it a bit for fun for me too!). So yea, not toy playing, but lots of fun which I hope they'll remember.

Also I find when I have started playing with their toys they never want me to stop and keep whining for me to continue.