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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

who much does your toddler role play?

21 replies

smellyfeet · 11/12/2010 22:04

DD is 2.9 and has always been into role play, but she seems to all the time (and is quite good at it as well). She's either a nursery worker, or someones mum, or me, or an aunt, or a cat, or a waitress, or a bus driver, spiderman...

I know role play is normal, but it's all the time. How often does your child role play?

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Tgger · 11/12/2010 22:10

My son was and is into it an awful lot, it seems a lot more than most of his peers. He's just turned 4 .

I think some are into it more than others as with all things! Younger daughter is just getting into it, she's just turned 2. I have two madmen in the house!!

LadybeenKissingSantaClaus · 11/12/2010 23:15

My ds is 2.8 and he also role plays probably 80% of the time he's playing. It's very often shopkeeper customer, doctor, or a presenter like Katie from I can cook, or his child minder or one of her daughters or a cat. I'm constantly being told "no you're mummy pig and I'm peppa" etc etc. It's very hard to keep up. I do encourage him to play with his toys as well at the moment jigsaw puzzles seem to present enough of a challenge to occupy him by himself.

piprabbit · 11/12/2010 23:19

My DS (2yo) has just begun doing this.
Most usually he is 'baby bird' and I am 'mummy bird'. He talks in a tiny voice and wants lots of cuddles, and to be taught how to fly.

Sometimes he is a train driver or Thomas the Tank engine. He will either sit and drive a train he has built (from kitchen chairs) or if out walking will follow lines in the pavement as a 'track'.

He also like being a superhero - he rushes around doing heroic superhero stances.

AliBellandthe40jingles · 11/12/2010 23:19

DS is 2.5 and we spend a lot of time with him roleplaying. He is various things - a doctor, a fireman, an Octonaut, a bus driver, George Pig. I fill the role of whatever the appropriate sidekick is

He does play with his toys a lot though but is keen on things where he can create a scenario, like his Thomas train set.

ShanahansRevenge · 12/12/2010 00:03

My DD is 2.9 and she's always at it..."You be George and I'll be Peppa"

You be the Mummy hedgehog and I'm the baby..

Her fave is to say things like "I haven't got a mummy and there's a monster outside!"

RockinRobinBird · 12/12/2010 00:05

All the time. I often get left babysitting Igglepiggle while 'mummy' goes to work. I rather enjoy making Igglepiggle cry and call out that he doesn't like nursery, he wants mummy. It drives her mad and is a little payback for me

BluTac · 12/12/2010 00:08

Almost constantly, mainly c-beebies characters.

UnpureAsTheDrivenSHOW · 12/12/2010 00:17

DD is in bed. Asleep. Dressed as a hamster.

She's rarely dd. She is often a superhero or an explorer or a doctor or a midwife (ppppppppuuuuuusssshhh teddy) or a stinging nettle or a dandelion or a forgotten kettle (I really don't know).

She's 3. And one day she won't do it anymore.

strandedatseasonsgreetings · 12/12/2010 00:21

Dd2 was 3 today and has been heavily into role playing for about a year. She spends a lot of time being a dog, a cat or a baby. She is also very often a princess or a fairy. Or a ballet dancer. Her sister (5) is also into role play but she likes to take on the bossy roles so is the teacher to dd2's child etc.

I love it, keeps them quiet for ages. I do worry about dd2 being a dog sometimes - it seems to go on forever.

Mind you I don't think she's ever been a "forgotten kettle"!

ShanahansRevenge · 12/12/2010 00:27

There seem to be a lot of Peppa Pigs and George's etc going on here!

suzikettles · 12/12/2010 00:33

Ds is just turned 4 and has been role playing for about as long as he could talk it feels like.

He's big on the Octonauts at the moment so is Peso or Kwaazi most of the time, but he also becomes anything else that interests him - Dora the Explorer, a baby bird (what is it with baby birds??), his friend Molly, his friend Molly's dad, a baker...

Usually I'm some sort of side-kick.

piprabbit · 12/12/2010 00:37

I do feel a bit of a fool when I have to chug all the way home from doing the school run, circling my arms like pistons, hooting and pretending to be Mavis the Diesel Engine. .

But I enjoy playing with DS more than I mind the faces on the adults I pass.

hels71 · 12/12/2010 10:14

My DD (3.3) is usually someone else. We are currently going through a Mary stage, dolly is baby Jesus and am a wise lady (because I am not a man).....We got some odd looks in Morrison yesterday as I was saying things like "Mary,if you don't hold Baby Jesus he will fall out of the trolley..."
She as also spent a fair ammount of time recently wondering around with a pillowcase saying Ho Ho Ho and making me pretend to be sleeping so she can leave presents....

otchayaniye · 12/12/2010 11:07

Mine started this at before 18 months and she does this all the time. With a running commentary.

ALovelyBunchOfBaubles · 12/12/2010 11:11

mine is 2.8 and never does this. should i be worried? her speech is a bit slow though.

zapostrophe · 12/12/2010 13:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

LadybeenKissingSantaClaus · 12/12/2010 21:15

lovelybunch I don't know, as DS is my first, but I would guess that role play would depend on speech being reasonably fluent - at least enough to give instructions or maybe construct a scenario.

When I get tired of it I sometimes just start playing with him with no speech at all, using facial expressions and bodylanguage to get him to use a different way of interacting with me.

I don't know why but I sometimes feel that role-play is almost like a tic that he can't get out of. So I like to remind him that he can just bash cars around or build stuff with his blocks or whatever as well

ALovelyBunchOfBaubles · 13/12/2010 18:13

Waves to Lady :)

I think she will grasp it soon. We have just bought her a till/shop thingy and she kind of pretends she is at the shop so I think once her speech develops more she will get better.

for your DS, my DD is the same she gets so engrossed in doing her drawing (her fave activity) that she forgets about all her other toys foir ages!

Rowgtfc72 · 13/12/2010 20:33

My dd is four in March and has only recently started role playing.She was explaining to her daddy the other day that she couldnt get into the car until Tommy Zoom and Captain Barnacle got in !!

Orissiah · 14/12/2010 12:01

Yes, DD's role playing intensified around 2.3 yrs old and she can spend an entire day pretending and acting out various scenarios. It's lovely to hear/see and I'm grateful that, at the moment, she doesn't seem to need me to be too involved with her imaginary worlds ;-) I'm just happy she can play on her own!

LadyTumble · 14/12/2010 13:55

DS is 2.9 and I've spent the last couple of days being rudolf to his Santa. After asking nicely if I could be santa I was told no and to start flying again. I love watching him role play, it is fantastic when your whole world revolves around being George Pig or Santa :)

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