My 4 year old needs constant entertainment from me....how should I handle it?

[IBlameThePMT]

Thats about it really! My DS has always been pretty demanding and full on, great fun and gorgeous too, but flipping heck, I could do with him entertaining himself a bit. Today he has followed me round all day whining 'I don't know what to do.' He will wake up at 6 in the morning and that will be the first thing he says, equally we can return from a really lovely trip out and as soon as we are in the door he will say that. Do I ignore? currently I end up trying to find something that will catch his attention...but it has occurred to me he will never learn to play alone if I spoon feed him. Any thoughts/similar experiences?

MY DS1 has just turned 4 and is quite like this - demanding, not great at playing by himself at all. He can do it, and can play with friends/DS2 without my input.

I quite like playing with him sometimes, but other times I have stuff I need to do or just don't feel like it. My current strategy is to play with him and tell him I will play for 15 minutes and then he will have to play by himself while I so the ironing/cooking/whatever. Sometimes this works and he will carry on playing by himself after I stop, and sometimes it won't. I sometimes add verbal cues to his games once I've stopped actually playing with him - but this depends on the type of game, I suppose. Most of DS1's games are fireman-based, so I end up pretending to be one of Fireman Sam's colleagues

Sorry, probably no help at all, just sympathy - it can be hard work...

Another thought - if DS1 starts whining that he doesn't know what to do, I give him a few options like building a tower with his lego, making a fire station out of a cardboard box, doing some colouring etc. If he then rejects all of those, I don't feel so bad about leaving him to his own devices for a bit - or sometimes, listing out a load of things he doesn't want to do ends up making him realise what he does want to do, and he'll then do it. Sometimes...

Just hide ?

My DS is a bit like this though he will watch a DVD so I sometimes resort to that when we get in, so I can make the tea. I also say very firmly "This is mummy's sitting down time" when I need a break and a cup of tea and he just has to wait 20 mins. I also get him to help a lot, eg he can help me cook, do the washing, hang it out, hoover, etc.

Another thing that will catch his attention is if we rotate toys and some are packed away for a while. He loves looking through a box of out-of-action toys and seeing what he can find.

When DD was at this stage I read somewhere that it passes all too quickly - this age where you are your child's best friend and companion. And you know, its true. Very soon they'll be at school... and then before you know where you are you'll be lucky to get a grunt before they're off out with their mates.

So in addition to the more immediate advice proffered, sometimes when it feels like you've got the Old Man of the Sea hanging from your back and you simply can't play pretend a moment longer ... it really can help to remember this.

LOL I am a meany Mummy...If my 4 yr old gets whingy I tell him that I have things to do and will play with him when I have finished If he continues, I tell him "find something to do or I will find you something to do....and that something will be chores....off you go!"

Thanks for the advice everyone, will try out some of these ideas, and as ever, its nice to know Im not alone!