Our mums

[landjsmum]

Hello. I just wondered if anyone can remember their own mum playing with them when they were young? I can't really recall my mum spending time with me and my husband can't either. We don't want to ask them because it might upset them that we can't remember!

My mom worked so, no.

No I can't really remember much of what my Mum did when I was young, I just have a vague sense that she was always around. I am sure she did play with me though. It makes me feel better about the mistakes I make with DS, I am fairly sure he won't remember them either.

I remember a couple of board games, but only very occassionally. And maybe brushing a doll's hair, but not really playing with me.

I think she is better with my DD, but I think that comes with them being together in small doses rather than 24/7.

Dad was the same to be fair. But we did do DIY together!

Not playing, but I remember her calling me Cheddar Gorgeous and Twinkle, and feeling loved. It was more knitting and cooking and stuff I think, rather than playing.

I don't remember either of my parents playing with me. My mother spent my childhood vacuuming and messing about with the twin tub, my father was hidden behind a newspaper. But surely they must have played with me, I just can't remember.

My mother is brilliant with my dc, acts really silly and they adore her. I don't think she was quite the same with me though.

No memories of ever being played with. I do have a 'snapshot' memory of being on her knee, facing her, laughing and pressing her boobs in saying 'does that hurt?' and her saying yes and not smiling or meeting my eye, looking bored.
I remember her teaching me to knit, and one memory of her reading to me and my sister because there was a huge row about my dad's tea not being on the table.

lumiya you have made me lol. I could of written your post, my mum was forever doing housework and my dad had his face stuck in a newspaper.

Not much has changed really, although they are fantastic grandparents.

Were you a 70's child by any chance?

80's child here and no playing whatsoever...i had older siblings, my sis (12 years older) played with me alot when i was very little, my dad would play the odd bored game, read the odd story and when older offer to help with homework. All i remember of my mom as a child/teen is her trudging through often unrequired housework to keep show home standards in a house with 6 plus people in it. Miserable and martyrish mostly. That and watching the soaps.

Children seemed to happen to my mom as though it was just an expected requirement, not a choice she actively made iykwim. She put up with her life as it was as she never expected it could be any different. My dad revelled in our achievments and always seemed interested in our daily lives. The contrast was so stark it felt confusing.

I'm not close to my mother now as you can probably tell. See her about twice a year

pilates it was the twin tub that gave me away, wasn't it?

My Mum did housework in the morning and did stuff with me in the afternoon. Park, cooking cakes, painting, drawing, making and painting models. We used to go to St Albans on the bus in my holidays once a week, to look at the shops and market, and she let me sit at the back of the bus with all the smokers! She was the kind of Mum I try to be. We had no money for holidays, I didn't go on an aeroplane til I was 25, and only had 3 holidays as a child, but I am glad because i had her time. That is why I'm a stay at home Mum, even though I love work, because as she said memories matter. I remember the twin tub. When they got a front loading machine I remember watching the whole cycle. My dcs have grown up wanting holidays with hot tubs! They also can't understand why we aren't going on holiday this year! How times change.

Mum never played or looked remotely interested in what I did, total opposite with my brothers though
Dad used to play dominos with me, lego and card games. He also took me to museums, kew gardens and the beach.

Nope, it was a different world then. There was kid culture and we had loads of unsupervised time with no adults taking any interest in us.

I can remember my mum making home made playdoh for me, and us having kippers and bread for lunch! Feel we were together alot tho, just the two of us. Elder bro and school, but no recollection of my little sis. Gotta be a good thing!! X x

I remember my mam playing with me. A lot of the memories have come flooding back now she plays with DD.

I never remember my Mum playing with me but then again i have a sister who's 1 year older so maybe she didn't need to.

She doesn't play much with my kids either which is a bit shame. My MIL on the other hand is fantastic with them.

No. She find sit fascinating howmuchofmy time I spend on my children. She says it never would have occurred to her to settle down and play with us.

No. I remember her bringing me soup and looking after me when i was ill. I remember her holding my hair back when i vommed (sometimes on the bedding!) at 3am. I remember talking to her, laughing with her, crying with her and snuggling up to her. I remember sometimes nothing could cheer me up like a hug from my mum. I remember chatting to her while she was doing housework and i was doing a jigsaw puzzle etc. I have a few memories of 'family' fun and games, but not really one to one with mum. On the other hand i remember my dad playing 'monsters' and jumping out on me and my sisters (and my mum cursing at him and saying he'd give us nightmares - he never did, we loved it). i remember my dad taking us swimming and generally mucking around.

It might be different for me because i had two older sisters who played with me a lot and a very involved dad who was, and still is, quite childish (in the nicest way). Don't get me wrong, my mum is fun, and funny, but not in a 'let's sit down and play dollies' kind of a way.

She does, however, play with my DS. It's lovely to watch.

Oh and i remember cooking with her too.

Nope. My mum carried on as if she'd never had me most of the time. She hired a nanny or got her mum to help. Determined not to do the same thing although playing with a toddler is mind-numbing!

I remember playing with my siblings more, though I do remeber family boardgames etc. We were home educated for a bit too so I remember educational games around the table with my mum. I think we were generally left to entertain ourselves and with 2 siblings that was pretty easy.

Yes I do remember my mum playing with us. Not constantly, but when she did it was usually doing something daft.

I had the young mum on the street (she was 19 when she had me) and ours was the house where all the children wanted to play. She thought nothing of stringing sheets round the living room and having indoor camping trips complete with fully bagged bags and picnics.

She used to take the mattress off our bed and let us slide down the stairs on it (and yes, she joined in!).

She's the same now with ds and my db's step dd. She has a beautiful garden but thought nothing of encouraging them to take shears to one of her huge lovely bushes to chop a door and window in it to make a den. She is still prone to huge cushion fights with ds where they both bounce round furniture. He knows the rules are different at Baa's house, even at age 6!

Yes I do remember my mum playing with us. Not constantly, but when she did it was usually doing something daft.

I had the young mum on the street (she was 19 when she had me) and ours was the house where all the children wanted to play. She thought nothing of stringing sheets round the living room and having indoor camping trips complete with fully bagged bags and picnics.

She used to take the mattress off our bed and let us slide down the stairs on it (and yes, she joined in!).

She's the same now with ds and my db's step dd. She has a beautiful garden but thought nothing of encouraging them to take shears to one of her huge lovely bushes to chop a door and window in it to make a den. She is still prone to huge cushion fights with ds where they both bounce round furniture. He knows the rules are different at Baa's house, even at age 6!

This thread really made me think. Mum was on her own by the time I was 3, dsis is 18 months younger & mum worked full time so we went to various horrible childminders or our grandparents.
We entertained ourselves quite happily at home but mum always read to us before bed.
I don't think there was an expectation that parents would play with us back then (early 70's) so when it happened it was quite memorable. One Christmas we got Mousetrap but there weren't enough mice so we used a plastic roast chicken that came from a toy trolley & grocery set!

Not much, but I don't really remember being a small child. I remember my dad coming home from business trips late and staying up because he always bought presents. And when he was around he would read to my sister and I, using a hand puppet to narrate the stories. When we were very little I do remember the "monster game" where he would lie on the bed, face down and my sister and I would tiptoe around him until the monster woke up and grab us and tickled us.

My mum...I don't really remember much playing. We were a horsey family so most of my memories of being with mum and my sister revolved around horses and ponies, so not playing but she was definitely there. When I was 10 she was diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency so got out of breath really quickly and so couldn't do as much with us, although she was still there with our pony and horse. Mostly I remember playing with my little sister.

brilliant thread, for me at least, as it had been preying on my mind.

No, my mother never played with us. she was extremely house proud, and housework dominated much of her life. i do remember lots of family board games in the evening though.

I had the most wonderful childhood and a loving, fun, affectionate and extremely close relationship with my mum (passed away in her fifties, 5 years ago). yet i am worried that if i do not play with my ds, i am going to ruin our relationship! Ridiculous. this thread has made me realise that a good parent . child relationship is about SO SO So much more than playtime!