I cant even have a wee in peace!

[pixipie151]

Does anyone elses 3yr+ child play even for very short periods by themselves?

Mine doesnt. Its got to the point that if I want to get anything other than role-play done during the day, I have to put the telly on . I cant even make a phone call or send an email.

We are having some behavioural difficulties generally - cries dramatically WHENEVER she doesnt get own way (neither I or DH are like this!), as well.

Will she grow out of it? How can I manage it. Ashamed to say I lost my temper today and shouted at her, and felt terrible afterwards.

Today my game plan was generally try to do 1 or 2 essential jobs and then stop to play for a bit, throughout the morning and took her to the park for the whole afternoon. Even here, I couldn't get her to play with other children (although in other situations she loves to), and it was all about Mummy.

I love being a mum and am happy to play, just not all day. Am I bad mother or should I get tough? I dont remember my mum playing all day, she had jobs and she did them, I just got on with it and played by myself.

Help please!

Sounds completely normal to me. All of it! And crying when she doesn't get her own way, well, she's three! I'm guessing you and your husband are a fair bit older than that.

Also, your own memories of your childhood are most likely from when you were a little bit older, no? She's only little still. Just enjoy her! Soon - very soon! - she'll start school and begin sighing and rolling her eyes at you and telling you how very little you know about everything... (yes, speaking from personal experience here!)

DS is 2.4 and exactly like this (and always has been).

When I need to get stuff done during the day I either let him watch a couple of episodes of Peppa Pig, or a couple of trainspotter videos on Youtube (who would ever have thought I'd be grateful to trainspotters?!)

Other than that, he just hangs around me...so if I'm cooking he just stands in the kitchen watching and we chat. If I ask him to go and play he just gets upset, so I've kind of given up...

Thanks for your views, good to know Im not alone, but can i or how do change this?

I've asked this question on here before and never found the solution unfortunately!

The only time my DS will play for a few minutes by himself is if we've been out for a few hours and come back in - he'll then potter off and play cars by himself for 5 mins max before re-attaching himself to my leg and saying he missed me

Could you use a timer? So set it for two mins and say you'll be back to play with her when the timer beeps, then gradually make the time periods longer and longer? With a little 'treat' if she manages to whole period without coming to find you?

Get her really involved in a game and then sneak off for 5 mins to get some stuff done?

I'm praying hoping that having another baby in December is the answer!

Thank you beans, sadly have tried, but shes permanently attatoched. congrats on new baby btw!

The headline to this post reminds me of DH's anguished cry from the loo some years ago: "Fatherhood is not even being able to have a crap in peace!"

Thank you!

I am anticipating at least 12 months of horrific tantrums and a lot of anguish...

i get this too.

i have 3 kids. the middle one is 3 and today i timed how long she could go before demanding something of me:

30 seconds.