Do you play with your kids?

I did a parent training seminar this evening geared for parents with kids 5 and under and diagnosed with autism. I had a parent come up to me after and say she doesn’t play with her kids in the context of our conversation. She said she will sit and watch tv, look at her phone or read and said they all seem content. I was a little taken back but in reality I don’t know if this is the norm or not? My kids are young and require engagement but will play independently too

Do you play with your kids?

Yes. She'll play alone if I'm cooking or cleaning or if DH and I are talking about something but otherwise one of us is generally playing with her, dancing, coloring, etc. I try and get her involved in some household tasks like sorting laundry or watering the plants so she's not playing, per se, but still engaged.

We make a conscious effort to say off our phones/computers when we're with her. Obviously sometimes we need to check something or send an email but we avoid it as much as we can.

Re: Do you play with your kids?

Yes. Every day

Most of the time I love it lol

But some things I hate playing ????

I know that in a few short years they won’t want or need me to play so I’m soaking it up all up now

Message edited 5/30/2018 10:12:35 PM.

Do you play with your kids?

Yes and no.

We will color, do play doh, go for bike rides and walks, play board games, play with the soccer ball or basket ball, play with them in the sand box, etc.

But play? Like doll house or kitchen? I could stand to improve this part.

Re: Do you play with your kids?

Re: Do you play with your kids?

Do you play with your kids?

Yes. We’ll do board games,play doh,dance, color, go to the park, do crafts (dd is 6) She will also play by herself.

Do you play with your kids?

I'm not good with playing pretend and things like that. If they ask I'll usually do it for a few minutes and then they'll continue on their own. I'll do puzzles, board games, legos, read books, cook with them, etc. My kids are 3 and 6 so they don't need me to color, do play doh, play barbies, etc.

Re: Do you play with your kids?

Do you play with your kids?

i have a 4 and a 7 year old. i'm home with the 4 year old most of the time, except for his part time preschool a few hours a week. I'll do activities with him (we'll read, or get out play dough, or go to a play place or do sidewalk chalk or whatever. but i definitely don't get into imaginative play much with him :-/ i leave that for his time at school LOL or sometimes he and my older one will play together. but if i'm honest, they are both HORRIBLE at playing on their own, or entertaining themselves. i have to kind of set them up with an activity, and not be far away because it turns into a hot mess of them arguing, or one gets bored then the other starts whining that they have no body to play with.... so even the 7 year old could definitely use some help in entertaining himself... i created monsters in that respect, by always being home and right there with them....

Re: Do you play with your kids?

All the time! I mean sure there are times when she's off doing her own thing and I sit down for a minute on my phone or zone out while flipping channels or actually doing chores... but otherwise, I'm playing with her. We played with play-doh for a solid hour last night then I helped her set up a tea party with her stuffed animals and left her to play while I folded laundry.

The night before we colored with sidewalk chalk, had dinner, and then played on her slide/swing set in the back before taking a bath and going to bed. I mean she's only 2 so I'm sure as she gets older she'll be a bit more independent with playtime, but I like playing with her.

Do you play with your kids?

I had trouble when DS was younger b/c he was more demanding (couldn't cook, clean, go to the bathroom, etc without him wanting my constant attention) and I needed "me" time. Now that he's older (he's 8) I find playing with him easier. We play video games together, board games, tennis, swimming, Pokemon Go, etc. But there are still things I hate doing with him and I let him know they're not things I want to do regularly and I try to steer him to stuff I enjoy doing.

Re: Do you play with your kids?

Honestly no I don't. They ask me sometimes and I will for a few minutes but honestly I hate it and I really rather spend the time getting stuff I need done.

They play with each other or independently.

I probably should play more. The only thing I want to try to start family game night. Its been on my to do list for a while now

Re: Do you play with your kids?

I will play board games and card games with her like Uno, Skip Bo etc.
Sometimes she will ask me to color with her.
She will ask to read me a book now that she reads well.
She never asks me to do imaginative play with her- she does that all on her own and goes off and does her thing.

Re: Do you play with your kids?

Do you play with your kids?

I prefer to play play board games/card games, puzzles, do crafts together, read together, or do other educational activities like plant seeds, bake, play "school" with her chalk board, go on walks and talk about what we see, play "I spy", etc....I do get a little bored playing pretend with dolls and stuff, but of course I do it sometimes.

Re: Do you play with your kids?

I play games, play dough, crafts stuff like that with my girls. I'm not good with imagination which is sad.

My dh on the other hand he plays whatever they want. Barbies, dolls, all their little collection type toys for hours with them. I'm really sort of jealous because I could never do it.

Re: Do you play with your kids?

I do a little bit. Most times my kids tell me I am doing it wrong.

Can I just say growing up my parents NEVER played with my sister and I. My dad worked most of the time and my mom took us to my grandfather's house while she was cooking or talking with her sisters. The back door was thrown open and locked and all of us (sometimes a bunch of us cousins, sometimes just my sister and I) were told stay outside and play. We said and do what? My mom said I don't care, play with sticks, just figure it out and don't bother the grown-ups.

Do you play with your kids?

I will do activities with them and play sometimes. Half the time it feels like I'm jst being bossed around lol My girls play decently together or independently.

My husband is much better at playing. I think it's bc inside all men are still little kids lol

Do you play with your kids?

I will do play doh, games puzzles and things like that. Pretend play sometimes at least to get her started and then she is on her own. Playing with children with autism (my daughter is autistic) is VERY different than playing with a typical child and is exhausting. It is rarely ever just "play" it is teaching. Sometimes parents need a break for the constant therapies, planning, behavior modification that consume them. If the kids can play on their own and be happy then let them. As a parent trainer, I would hope that you would know that already.

Re: Do you play with your kids?