5 yr old wants me to play ALL day

[poppy2133]

My 5 yr old son is constantly asking "will you play with me". He is constant and unrelentless. He has no siblings and I do understand his need for play but it is constant. Myself and his dad are prevented from having even a 5 min tea break without being as "will you play with me". He doesn't like to do anything by himself. He is clever and sociable at school so I have no conerns in that department - I just need a break in the day to let me do the things I need or have a cup of tea. Any suggestions for things he could possibly do by himself greatly received

Hi, my first post on here, but we had this conversation today - about how things used to be!!! My step-son was very much like this (and we put some of it down to being with us half the week and his mum the other, and him wanting to fill every minute with each parent etc...) but really being to think now, that this is just "normal" (if there is such a thing ) behaviour. He was 6 in August, and over last few months there has been a massive shift, we actually are now downstairs sometimes, sitting waiting...thinking what's going on . Today he played in his bedroom for about 1 hour and half and we just shouted up stairs every so often asking him what he was up to and popping up etc... and then tonight whilst I was upstairs on the computer he was happily playing in his bedroom for about an hour, with us just chatting through the walls every now and again. We were saying, wow - his independent play is now well and truly here, and I think it means we all get a bit more out of the playing together time.

We have found that drawing and lego are the main ones he plays with independently. Sometimes (before he went off and played on his own) we'd say "why don't you see what you can build in half hour and come and surprise us" - seemed to work, and as I said now we don't need to... we've also found, re-doing his bedroom, redecorating (again!) and changing lay out etc made a difference, not sure if a coincedence????

Hope this helps?

I agree, 6 yr old boys and Lego = a good combination for independent play.

Also, can you involve him with the things you need to do?
Eg The other day I tidied out a cupboard and I got DS to write out labels for the shelves so that things are put back in the right places.

Kitchen timer very useful, you get 20 mins for your cup of tea and when it rings, your DS knows you are going do xyz with him.

Are you against screen time? There are plenty of good websites for children and of course TV/DVDs. That gets you an hour a day

Hi, have a 3.5 year old daughter and new this website. She is wonderful, bright and intelligent. My partner and I both work, me just part time. Our daughter goes to pre school during these times. She is very demanding and on the go 12/13 hours a day. Relentless in insisting we play with her. Hide n Seek, Tag, Jigsaws, Watch tele with her. After a hard days work our evenings are spent playing with her. Little time to do much else. She is an only child. Bath time is good, we can catch 15 minutes then. Bed time 8.30 to 9. No problems there usually straight off.

Have read to blogs and feel that this is a normal stage of her development. Am looking forward to her doing more independant play so my partner and I can catch some evening time together. anything u can suggest ..

I'm with MCDL - our ds same age is relentless and it's with me - I was trying to respond to a legal letter which was complex and I though to myself - forget ever trying to study as I was doing my best to concentrate on my response to letter with 'mummy', 'mummee', mummeeeeeee' the entire time.

I'm exhausted - want to go back to work - now.

He says I'm more fun than this friends and prefers to spend the day with me rather than his nursery (which he adores). But I'm knackered- run out of ideas with train tracks etc.

Is this really normal at 3.5?