How much do you play with your kids?

[Writergirl]

I am interested in how much 'quality time' other parents actually have or give to their children.

Like how often and how much do you sit down with your child and join them in an activity they like, whether making things, doing a puzzle, dressing up, etc.

I often feel really guilty that I don't seem to have time (e.g. after school or after the childminder) to sit down and do drawings etc with my 5.5 DD - plus she's a very 'good' kid, so she'll happily get on with things whilst I make the tea/put washing on etc.

If I don't manage to do that during the week I try and organise a special afternoon out quite regularly - is that enough? What do other people do?

(er, just FYI i don't totally ignore my kids all the time!! I'm just curious how other people balance getting chores done with playing with kids - I actually try and involve DD - especially in cooking etc, but I have the impression I'm alyways saying 'hang on a minute, just let me....' !!

A lot, but that's cos they're home educated - have more time. TBH, I have no idea how I'd manage to get any time with them if we had to fit in school with all that goes with it.

Are you counting reading bedtime stories etc. in your quality time measurement? Cos if not, then you should. That's a very special time for me and mine, especially as DH takes the little two out in the car to get the toddler to sleep and I get to sit down quietly with the big two and read books together - we read any book, not just fiction - whatever they want - so we get a lot of discussion too

What about bathtimes? Do you count those?

You're probably doing more than you realise!

Can you plan in a craft activity for each weekend day? (that's what DH does).

Including her in cooking is a great thing.

I would make sure you at least do something really nice at the weekend. A craft activity or go swimming or something. And reading a story before bed etc.

Could you get her to start helping you do the stuff you need to be getting on with?

On a school day, not much - maybe half an hour between school and tea, but just as often I'm whacked and encourage them to go off and do something themselves. I'm working while they're at school, so I feel like I need some downtime before getting into tea, bed etc.

But what I have started doing is designating one day per week when we all agree that we will definitely go straight home from school (no playdates or trips to the park) and do something together. Often we cook, or make something, or paint.

And we always have a story time at bedtime, always eat meals together and talk lots while we walk to and from school (25 min each way).

I think they're OK for attention, overall.