Quality time with child

[ramanw]

I wrote a status previously about my 5 year old Daughter who will ask me to play the entire day. I've brought it on myself by playing far too much and am now trying to cut that down.

I am looking for ways to say "no" without hurting her feelings or without snapping at her (which I find myself doing because I find her completely suffocating).

I'd also like to hear how much quality time everyone else spends playing with their children of a similar age? If I played something with her a couple of times a day, would that sound ok?

I have a 2 year old as well, a job and a messy house. I haven't got the time to be playing constantly.

I explain to my 5 year old. Or, i let her help and that becomes the quality time. She helps prepare food, sweeps the floors, dusts. She loves it, in reality she is very little help 😅 but she isn't a hindrance either and she gets a lot out of it.

But if i need her to play on her own for a bit, like e.g. I'm cleaning the cat litter, something I'd never let her help with, i just explain why.

Probably should also have mentioned that I didn't really bond with her when she was little. I did everything I was meant to and looked after her and all of her needs were met but I knew that I hadn't bonded.

I love her but I really struggle to relate to her. She is very different to me. I think she senses this and is desperate to try and create that bond so perhaps does need extra quality time with me?