How much time do you spend playing with your children?

[wineismyfriend]

How much time do you spend playing with your children? How do you cope if your child wants you to play / your attention all of the time?

DS1 is 6.5 and would have DH or I playing with him 24/7. He loves school, is popular and sporty and loves bring surrounded by people. His behaviour is so exhausting that DH and I fell we have lost our way and just don?t know which way to turn next.

If we have a family outing at the weekend I can guarantee you as we drive down our road DS will ask what we are doing next, who is going to play with him. On the way home form school he will ask the very same thing. It?s the same in any given situation. If we insist he plays alone he is disruptive (obviously because he wants our attention), if we insist he plays in his room he will just sit there seemingly not having a clue what to do.

DS2 displays more ?normal? behaviour - he will come in form a trip or nursery and go any find something to do. He will want me to play for a while then will be happy to be left alone?.

We do play with DS1 but he expects us to spend all of our free time doing it.

DH and I live in a constant state of anxiety, I feel awkward and an alien in my own home because I can?t just potter about because any minute I will be pounced on and nagged and whined into playing.

Sorry, have typed all this in a rush as at work!

Thanks for reading.

Could you make a deal with him - you will play at whatever he wants for a set time (whatever is feasible for you) and he in turn does not nag or whine.

Will he not play with his sibling?

You say that if left to play in his room he just sits there - it doesnt sound from your post that he actually protests at being left in his room, so maybe that would be the best avenue to pursue...
Perhaps you could try leaving him with a pile of books or comics, or some jigsaws or something? Maybe give him a time limit, like half an hour in his room and then he can have half an hour with you.