Rough play.... age 3 and 5

[specialmagiclady]

My two DSs seem almost incapable of playing without flinging themselves on each other. Mostly instigated by the 3 year old, it starts out rather sweetly but always ends in someone getting hurt, usually my 5 year old who whinges and squeals in a way which - if I was my 3 year old - I would find most satisfying.

I've started to have zero tolerance on some behaviours like putting hands round necks, biting etc, but I don't want to put an end to something that - at some levels - they both enjoy. I also feel that they're boys and this is just a boy thing that they should be allowed to do....

But how can I stop a bit of playfighting becoming WW3?

It's not just a boy thing!

Ds (4) and dd (5) fight a lot.

Me: This will end in tears (I have turned into my mother)

DCs: We're just playing mummy

Me: Stooopp iiiitttt!

DCs: Waaaaaaaah

Me: Don't come crying to me etc etc

Ad nauseum. Exactly what my mother said to me and bro and sis as ever was and always will be!

Gah... so bloody hard to get anything done!

My two have a game called splat - which involves jumping on each other and the sofa. In fact splat was DS2's 3rd word!
They can play it for hours and usually one of them ends up going waaaahhhhhh - its just what little boys do.
We have the rule is either of them gets cross/cries they have to stop doing it immediately.

Ours is called (oh, so middle-class-ly) Butternut SQUASH! If someone says "fish finger" you have to get off.

I am implementing the "if someone cries/is cross the game stops" as I type.