how do you keep your 'rights' in a 3-year-old's game ...

[kleist]

What I mean is, I suppose, do you just go with their rules or do you attempt to maintain a semblance of autonomy ...

This isn't massively a problem. I just wondered.

My little dd's 3 and 3 months and a very imaginative, chatty, lovely child. Her favourite thing in the world is to play out what she calls 'scenarios' with her soft toys. She'll only ever do this with me. We've made time to play like this since she was around 18 months old but lately she's 'scripting' what I say, or rather what I make my toys say in a rather despotic way. I get this: 'I want you to do Snowy and Fausto [dp encourages her to use unusual names ] and I'll do Florrie and Ears. I want Snowy to say xxx and Fausto to go xxx' you get the picture? Fair enough except that if I don't meet the script perfectly she gets sweaty and deeply upset, cries, looks at me as though I've ruined her opening night.

Anyone else found a 'cure' for this?

Wonderful, tigermoth - do the elderly gents oblige then and play soldiers with him? And if so does ds still make the rules? Do they let him?!

Ok, I guess I should ask next ... how long does this phase last?

Oh and if anyone has any thoughts about my question in my last post here about the more cruel kinds of game I'd love to hear.

PMSL at Aloha's comment

'i insist on being ordered about in a civil manner'

Kleist, maybe you have a budding Director to be

My dd is terrible at th minute blackmailing me.
She's forever saying, "well, if you do this i'll be your friend! I have another bossy one here, thoigh they'd never believe it at School as she's excrutiatingly shy there!!

It lasted about, oooh, nine months for DD1 I think. I may have blocked some of it, as you do.

I think you should tell her that Fausto has sold his soul - or possibly Florrie - to the devil, heh heh heh.

Yes, Angeliz, especially in the way she often stands with her hands on her hips when dishing out her instructions...

oh yes, mi, but could you imagine the way she'd script that scenario???

Quick hijack - Kleist, how's the bike seat?

Oh yes I have a 3 year old ds just like this. We play soldiers with his castle and he tells me which soldiers to hold, where to position them and what to say. If I do it wrong he gets sooo upset. 'No Mummy don't say that' etc

Playing the part of Willie Wonka is a favourite of his. I have to knock on his bedroom door and say I have the golden ticket. He answers in his Willy Wonka guis (towel as a cape and sword as a cane' and tells me to come in. I have to stand in exactly the same place on his rug every time or he sends me out to start again..........

Bloody hell, have they all got OCD?

Anchovy I haven't had a chance to give it another go just yet as we've been at mum's over New Year. This weekend we'll be doing trial runs in the park and dp's going for a try on Monday morning. Fingers crossed. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for asking!

anyone else with a small dictator in their midst?

Just bringing this thread back to life briefly to ask if anyone's little dictator also insists on laughter at their jokes? Dd's latest is to say 'I'll do xxx and you laugh" she then goes on to do an impression of how I am to laugh ...