DD nearly 5 is constantly wanting to role play different people/scenarios. The problem for me is that it could take up the whole day if I was as keen and I can't seem to ignite much interest in anything else while at home. If out she will do whatever, like play at the park, while being someone else.
I find myself getting short with her or cutting it off when she gets too manic with it, chopping and changing who is who literally three times in one sentence - 'you be the mummy I'm the kitten, no you be the butterfly I'll be the princess, no I'm the shop keeper you be the mermaid'... I can't keep up and feel like there's a script I'm meant to be following but have no idea what it is. It doesn't feel spontaneous, in an anything goes kind of way.
She rarely finds playmates willing to join in but perseveres to the point of scaring them off; when she does she is ecstatic and, again, over enthusiastic which ultimately results in scaring them off too. She also won't role play alone, i.e. with two dolls or whatever. It has to involve someone else.
Any suggestions please on how I can work with her to make it more manageable for the other party and thus fulfilling for her and perhaps channel her energies into other areas too? And how does this sort of play generally develop - will she get the hang of creating the other voices herself? Do I just need to wait until she finds a kindred spirit? I am looking forward to her creating stories in years to come, I think they will be a great read!