How much time do you spend playing with your dc's?

[naturalbaby]

I have 3 dc's, the oldest just turned 4 so it's been a manic few years. I'm a sahm and full of the usual parenting guilt but the biggest one is that I spend all day doing housework and not playing with my kids. I don't know where the time goes but I find myself spending all day saying "just a minute, let me do..... then I'll read a story" and then it's too late because I have to go fetch ds1 from nursery or cook dinner or something. It's very easy to say forget the housework for 5mins and just read them a story but I just can't - housework is like therapy for me, and I really need some therapy . They play really well together so I'm just a referee really for when they start fighting. My mum didn't really play with me and my siblings much when we were growing up but spent a lot of time with us when we were older and I also had 2 siblings to play with.

So how much of an issue is it if you don't play with your kids?

I don't play with mine very often, I find it really hard. Bit easyer with eldest now she is older as we can do a grown up jigsaw together and stuff but younger play just bores me senseless. I don't feel guilty as my mum didn't play with us on a day to day basis. And they have each other for all that "pretend your a fairy and I'm the witch" stuff. I will however take them on days out, talk to them a lot, do crafty things which I do enjoy, read to/with them or let them help me cook or clean. As for getting down on the floor and playing with the dolls, figures etc not a lot.

Not that I do the house work all day either :)

I have 3 dc probably very similar ages to yours cos my oldest is 4 end of next month.

I know what you mean about housework etc and the time just going but I do play with them every day, not that I will sit there for hours every day (sometimes I do) but 10 min here, 10 min there, another 10 min later etc.

The thing i find hard is for them to get enough time dedicated one to one - they normally tend to be all together cos ds2 sleeps in ds1 nursery time etc, but I have to try hard on that because they really need it - have been recommended it specifically for one of mine cos of some delays, but i still dont manage every day the full 10 min one to one uninterupted which does make me feel crap tbh because its only 10 min! but it is cos of the other 2 interupting

Do your dc mind? if they are happy to play by themselves a lot then atleast they are happy? my 3 year old always wants me to play pretending games with him, like monsters sharks dinosaur etc - I think because my 2 littler ones are not talking yet so its harder for him to make games with them whereas in a couple of years they will probably occupy each other more but seems that yours may be at that stage already.

Get them to do housework with you if you are really into the housework and don't want to leave it? But sometimes I would try to leave the housework and go and play because soon they will be grown up and not bothered

They do ask me a lot to do things with them, and they hound DH to read to them or play games when he's home so at least someone is doing it! I just can't relax and spend time with them if there's a huge pile of washing/washing up to do. I feel like I should be making more of an effort as I would rather be a sahm than send them to nursery so I can go back to work, but then wonder why I'm bothering to sah if I'm not really doing anything with them.

I'm going to become a childminder when ds2 starts nursery so need to know that I can give quality time and attention to dcs in my home!

20minutes of housework, 10minutes of playing.

Get a timer that is easy for the dc to see and understand, then they know when not to disturb you but know that it won't be long until you can come and read that story to them.

I quite enjoy playing with my dc so I don't find it a problem but this was recommended to a friend by her HV and it seems to work for her and her son.

I only have 2, aged 4 and 2, but I do try to play with them a little each day. Not hours and hours of playing with barbies/pretending to be a fairy but I will do things like set them up at the table with some drawing/sticking etc and then pop in and out while tidying or chopping veg for dinner. Or I'll make myself a cup of tea and sit down with them on the floor to do puzzles/reading, but I will say to DD1 'when I've finished my tea I need to go and do XYZ...'

I often find it's easier to get the housework done in one quick blast while they are zonked out watching tv after dinner, or I put clothes away while they are entertaining themselves running around naked after bathtime.

But then my house is always a mess!

I only have 2, aged 4 and 2, but I do try to play with them a little each day. Not hours and hours of playing with barbies/pretending to be a fairy but I will do things like set them up at the table with some drawing/sticking etc and then pop in and out while tidying or chopping veg for dinner. Or I'll make myself a cup of tea and sit down with them on the floor to do puzzles/reading, but I will say to DD1 'when I've finished my tea I need to go and do XYZ...'

I often find it's easier to get the housework done in one quick blast while they are zonked out watching tv after dinner, or I put clothes away while they are entertaining themselves running around naked after bathtime.

But then my house is always a mess!

I spent quite a lot of time playing with mine at those sorts of ages,but I was at work half the day,so they were at nursery and not creating 'housework' at home.
I really didn't fit in an awful lot of housework at all...(it's as easy to wipe 2 weeks worth of dust as two days worth... )

it's as easy to wipe 2 weeks worth of dust as two days worth

Love it... Might adopt this as my new mantra.

Mine are a little older now and entertain themselves. My main role is as taxi driver for after school stuff, referee of their fights and an ear for troubles... We always sit down as a four to eat at breakfast and tea and chat about the day etc.
When I was at home with all three (eldest was 3.5 when youngest was born) we did a lot of activities out of the house together like toddler groups and singing groups etc. I did used to spend sometime 'playing' with them but mainly board games, reading etc. Not pretend play.
I had three kids in3.5 years to avoid pretend play! They are a great unit now they are 8,7&5 and that was always my aim.
At weekends we do loads as a family out and about mainly physical stuff like biking etc. It will getbeasier as they get older!
However I didn't do housework much..... But had a great social life!!

I have the same problem. I'm always doing housework. At the end of the day, the house is still a tip and I feel I've ignored my DC :(
I do read with them every day and make a point of discussing our day at dinner (something my parents did). But I really struggle to come up with other activities :( I try to spend as much time in the park as possible :)

iwantcake. Build a pirates ship out of the settee.Or a tent under the dining table,then provide picnic food.Bug hunt.Big box of bits and bobs,paper and glue.Glitter.Playdoh.

I can come up with the activities.....it's just the clearing up that I seem unable to master