to be jealous of DH's ability to play w/DS without getting mind-numbingly bored?

[CheerfulYank]

I'm home with DS every afternoon (I work 8-12) and every time he comes to me with "Mama, let's play trains/dragons/farm-and-you-be-a-sheep" I sort of, well, kind of...want to scream a little bit! I don't mind doing projects, reading stories, doing puzzles, coloring, play-doh, etc., but the other stuff...I honestly have to force myself to do it. And there's so much to do at home; all the laundry, dishes, general tidying, etc, fall to me as I'm home in the afternoon, that I'm always saying "when I'm done with (blank) I'll have time to pretend to be a cat!"

DH, on the other hand, can pretend to hunt for dragons for hours (well, a few hours anyway, as he gets home at 6 and DS goes to bed at 8) and I just do not have it in me.

So give it to me straight, mumsnetters, am I an awful, impatient parent?

If you are then so am I .

Dp is just as bad as me but luckily my parents and MIL seem to really get into this type of play.

No-I also loved reading,puzzles etc.

Not so good at the crawling around pretendy games.

You can't be good at all the bits of parenting. I bet there are bits that you do and quite enjoy and are good at that your dh doesn't like or isn't good at.

It's a good thing if you and your dh are good at different bits. You make a better team that way.

My cat spends all day sitting on the sofa looking at Mumsnet over my shoulder. Can't you pretend to be my cat?

When I was an au pair, we did lets pretend games that incorporated tidying and cooking. Perhaps your DS could be a camel carrying loads of goods (clothes from the laundry basket) across the endless wastes of the desert (the kitchen) and you could be a camel driver?

Oh, that's a good idea Grendelsmum. He does like to "help" a lot, so I include him in most of my chores. He'd actually be really into being a camel!

thats men for you.

God no YANBU, this is what dads are for isn't it?

DH will build Lego for hours - they go out for hours on the weekend as well, just the two of them, sometimes for a run, sometimes to "Man" shops.

you've actually really cheered me up - I could have written your op! so no YADNBU! or else I am too

What age is your DS ?

I do something with soon to be 4 yr old DS called Mummy time that I read about in some book or other, it sounds unbearably twee but do bear with me. I set a timer for 10 - 20 minutes or whatever my level of tolerance is on that particular day and focus entirely on what DS wants to do for that period of time. At the minute it primarily seems to involve cutting out bits of sticky pad and littering his room with them.

It works for both of us, firstly I don't feel as guilty outside that time if I'm not giving DS 100% full attention and secondly DS really likes it and I swear his behaviour has got better since we started it because he knows that at least for one period during the day he will get my undivided attention.

Disclaimer I do actually do things with him outside Mummy time of course, its just that if the phone rings during that time I will let it go to answer phone whereas at other times I'd pick it up if you see what I mean.

Oh, it can be mind numbingly boring playing at times, can't it?

This is my only reason for having a second kid. ANd the only reason playdates were invented.

Rookie's suggestion is good.

Yep, my DP can manage to play for hours with our 18wk old DD - boredom doesn't come into it as I'd love to sit down and look into her eyes and make her laugh for hours but I HAVE JOBS TO DO !! Quick boob, back to doing dinner, boob and back to the paperwork, etc etc ad infinitum.

DP is very adept at 'forgetting' all the jobs he could be doing to help out - he's playing with the baby coz he hasn't seen her all day ...... !!

That is a good idea rookie, I'll have to try it. DS is 2 and a half, and is very into the timer so that might work. And then I wouldn't feel guilty for never "going fish'un" or "play jaguars wif me!"

I know, Nicky! I have a good friend w/ two DDs a year apart and they are constantly playing pretend with each other. I'm so jealous; I need a sibling for my DS! Now as soon as I work on DH a little more...