Bossy 4 and three quarter girl

[goreousgirl]

I have a nearly-5 year old girl, and her new baby brother (6 mths). I'm finding the whole coming-home-from-school, playing, feeding, bathing and bed routine too stressful for words. I'm trying to encourage playdates to take the pressure off me, but my daughter always refuses to play whatever the friend proposes (even if it's a game she begs to play with me when there are no friends!) The result is one or the other child always appearing behind me, telling me the other won't play - Aghh! If I have no playdate, I find I am trying to give one on one (v unsuccessfully), and end up with an unsatisfied daughter and a guilty head at the end of the day - Help!

I would probably tell her everybody has the right to choose a game, so she can choose a game and when they are tired, it's the friend turn to choose another?

this sounds horribly familiar to me. My daughter is 5 1/4 now and is fine when playing at other people's houses but not so good when it's her house and her toys. She likes playing games where she pretends to be Daphne from Scooby Doo - I always have to be Fred - friends not so keen on being Fred so it always ends in sulking. I think that they think if it's their house they should be the boss. If you find an answer please let me know!!

Thanks, Chandra - If I could reason with her, believe me I would. Pippi - SO wierd - does every 5 year old girl want to be Daphne - or is it just ours? Also my girl has had this 'thing' since a very early age, where we have to role play 'being' baby, or 'pony' or 'big sister' etc with a high squeaky voice - she just won't let up until we 'perform' for her - drives us barmy! My new attempt as of the weekend is to buy a kitchen timer, that I can set, and she/playdate have to take it in turns to play their chosen games for 5 minutes - but when it came to swapping over - the playdate guest refused - so I met another very challenging scenario. Fortunately tea was ready - so I didn't have to tackle the argument, but for once, v unfair on my girl!