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Parenting

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Original poster

Am I a boring Mum?

25 replies

megcleary · 04/03/2009 20:05

DD is 18 mo and a sweet girl three days a week in nursery and two days home with me weekend are family time.

On my days with her I feel sometimes feel I should be doing more with her IYSWIM. She comes with books all the time and says story so we read them, I pop her on a chiar by the sink and she "helps" with the dishes. We do colouring when she wants and she "helps" with dinner when I sit on the floor in the kitchen and peel the veg and she puts the peels in the bin!!

I feel like I am just tagging her into the adult things I need to do and she is not having fun.

I am a worrier and was wondering if I should be playing with her more?Advice appreciated.

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BabyValentine · 04/03/2009 20:06

Well, if you're a boring mum, then so am I

BabyValentine · 04/03/2009 20:07

...sounds remarkably similar to my days with DD (17 mo).

2pt4kids · 04/03/2009 20:08

Its all playing to her though! plus the bonus of you getting something useful done at the same time.
If she didnt enjoy it, she'd soon let you know.

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100yearsofsolitude · 04/03/2009 20:10

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taipo · 04/03/2009 20:10

Aw don't worry. At that age she won't be into imaginative play yet and will be more than happy just spending time with you. Sounds like you're doing a great job!

Original poster

megcleary · 04/03/2009 20:14

ah shucks thanks ladies I was worried the two days i had her to myself were dull for but hopfully she will let me know when she is and things are pootling along ok at the moment

OP posts:

Original poster

megcleary · 04/03/2009 20:15

dull for her I meant there

OP posts:

nickschick · 04/03/2009 20:16

When i was a little girl i used to play post offices - i had a rubber stamp lots of cards nd papers and pencils and stamps and i honestly played for hours with this set - I recently asked my nanna where was it all? she searched her attic and found ......a shoebox with bits of cereal box in,lots of old xmas cards and birthday cards all used a lot of greenshield stmps nd a bit of grandads broken pipe that i used as the stamp!! - now im my mind this set was far superior to anything ELC sell - a childs imagination is fab and by sharing time with her and chores you are helping her develop brilliantly.

MarlaSinger · 04/03/2009 20:18

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helsbels4 · 04/03/2009 20:19

My dd loves putting the washing on for me!!! She loads it, puts the powder and conditioner in, sets the temperature etc - it's fab!!! My ds on the other hand, doesn't have a clue

Original poster

megcleary · 04/03/2009 20:24

Helsbels4 how old is the fab washing dd! she sounds great bless her

OP posts:

helsbels4 · 04/03/2009 20:46

She's four at the end of March!!!! Although her washing skills are bang on (she loves "helping" with the washing-up too") she more than makes up for it with the mess she makes around the house!!!

longhardlookinthemirror · 04/03/2009 20:51

All these things are boring to you but your dd they are fascinating.
Don't you just love their proud little faces when they think they are helping?

OnlyWantsOne · 04/03/2009 20:55

I am like this, DD is at nursery 4 full days a week and the rest of time just hangs out with me (very unlike my sis who has a DD the same age and is a SAHM and does wierd and wonderful things all the time with her)

DD is happy... and learning lots too...

ABetaDad · 04/03/2009 20:55

meagcleary - that sounds you do a lot of fun things. Interesting too for a child.

Our DS 1 and 2 love helping with things even though they are 8 and 6.

nickschick - I too loved doing 'office' stuff as a child. My Dad used to give me old invoices and envelopes and I could play for hours with them.

Shitemum · 04/03/2009 20:58

OP - you know, if you had posted that 150 years ago the MNers of the day would be totally non-plussed.

All this 'playing with your kids' stuff is a modern invention. If you have the patience to let her join in with you as you go about your day then your DD will be learning real skills in a real environment. That's far more important than overloading them with 'activities' or toys that replicate real life.

A trip to the park for a go on the swings or to feed the ducks and some time with other children of different ages is all the extra activity a child that age needs...

Original poster

megcleary · 04/03/2009 21:12

am keen on the cooking with me thing etc want her to recognise foods etc am currently enjoying her counting potatoes one, one, seven she makes moi giggle again thanks for replying

OP posts:

Gemzooks · 04/03/2009 21:17

my DS is 2.5 and I must say it gets a lot more interesting as they get towards 2 and can do more... I have the same as you, work 3 days, have 2 days just me and him. try to do things like go to playgroup, park, library, playground. rainsuit has been a godsend. It sounds like you're doing all the right things, and she is having fun hanging out with you watching things. I am a bit of a fresh air freak but DS is also happy indoors.. everything is so interesting at that age, just playing in a sandpit or being given some pots and pans, a spoon and some dry pasta!

teabagtea · 04/03/2009 21:20

You are a wonderful mum, this is exactly what they love doing at this age. There is plenty of time for exciting things later.

Tommy · 04/03/2009 21:21

I had a friend who never tok her baby to the supermarket as she thought it would be "boring" for him...

Babies and toddlers love being with their mummies doing usual things. Supermarkets are very bright and colourful and there are lots of people who want to talk to babies in trolleys, helping Mummy at home is my2 year old's favourite thing - cooking, unloading dishwasher, laundry etc etc

philopastry · 04/03/2009 21:36

I ran myself (and my ds1) ragged doing loads of 'activities' with my first (Gymboree, swimming classes, sing and sign, we did them all - i must have been nuts!) Looking back I realise we would have both been happier if I had spent more time just pottering as you are doing OP. Sounds like you are doing a cracking job.

Gateau · 10/03/2009 10:43

OP, no need to worry, you sound like a very natural mother to me.
I mean, about a decade ago way back until the beginnig of time, this is what most Mums would have been doing, before all these ludicrous "activities" started springing up everywhere.
I do much the same as you, TBH. I wish more of my friends were the same. But they're all running rings round themselves taking their babies to overhyped "classes". Money-making scams, most of them, in my opinion.

Nightcrawly · 10/03/2009 11:49

I do the same as you, it just feels more right than taking DD to a zillion "classes" which just make me and her miserable. Pottering rocks.

rabbiton · 11/03/2009 23:58

So good to read this post, recently immigrated and DS1 had loads of friends and went to too many 'classes' but now feel gone too far other way. DS1 so much happier than he was there and loves to just be at home pottering but has only a couple of friends that he hardly ever sees. How much social interaction do they need at 3?

rabbiton · 12/03/2009 00:21

have also piled on the pounds and have no support, no car but love FB

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