Yesterday afternoon Miss M asked me to play with her. I won't lie, playing Polly Pockets is quite excruciating.
I mostly sit and dig through the clothes and set up furniture while the dolls that have been designated "mine" all take naps or laze by the pool. M's dolls are climbing into the jet and flying cross-room from party to party, living the high life.
K, when he plays with us, makes his boy dolls (because M will only give him the boy dolls) feed the dog and change back and forth between their two outfits each. Eventually the boys get tired of the daily grind at home and join M's ladies in the jet-set life.
Mostly they don't notice that my dolls are lazy and don't talk much.
I love listening to the stories that M and K weave with those dolls. It's really through hearing these stories that I realize how sophisticated their play has become. Their world views have broadened so much and are shaped by every experience they have. Something that was insignificant to me is obviously observed and noted by my kids.
We passed a police car who had detained someone by the side of the road the other day. Yesterday, the kids inserted a police officer into their stories. I would not have remembered seeing the police officer had I not been listening to my children playing. I couldn't tell you what the police officer did in their story though.
Yes, I listen and enjoy my children's stories, but only half-way. Well, I enjoy them all the way, but I only listen half-way. Remember when I said how excruciating playing Pollys is?
I'm writing blog posts in my head, thinking about what I need to get done, and wondering what I did with the cables for the kids' digital cameras. I'm planning my Monday morning. I'm wishing I had chocolate chip cookies and that I didn't need to lose weight so I could eat those cookies. I'm feeling guilty that I'm not fully engaged with my children.
How do you get through playing these types of toys with your kids?
Monday, September 15, 2008
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Depends on the area - with my son, I nod and "ooh" appropriately when he talks about superheroes and police cars and chase scenes. With my daughter, I play tea party and dolls with gusto because that's what I know . Often I'm leading her, but then she's young still.
Play with your kids? Isn't that what the TV is for?
Just kidding! But seriously, having 2 boys only 18 months apart did make them less dependent on mom and dad to provide entertainment. Most of the time when we wanted to interact it just screwed up whatever they had going.
Oh dear lord, there are limits. There's only so much Pirate play I can stand before my main function becomes organizing all those tiny little pieces while Noise runs around stealing treasure.
I don't think of it as not fully present. I think of it as protecting what's left of mommy's sanity, while still spending time with them.
Well, my boys don't play with those polly pocket creatures. They like to have wars...with light sabers and paper airplanes. I try to fight.
BTW, my little niece who has polly pockets has to try to keep them cleaned up all the time because their little chihuahua likes to chew on them...can you imagine a more impossible task?!
You know the best part? The kids won't remember that you were half-engaged during these play sessions. This evening, we were all sitting around on the floor and we had the old wooden train tracks set up. My eldest brought up a game that we used to play with those tracks when he was 3 (6 years ago!) That particular game used to bore me to tears. He doesn't remember that, though, all he remembers was that I was on the floor with him and it was fun.
Mostly I came here to read the advice. Fly is getting to that stage. He just wants to play with cars, trucks and trains. Fortunately for me, that's not hard, but still, there's only so much of that one can take....
I am usually stitching, knitting or sewing while interacting and listening to the children. They do nto seem to mind, I am there when they have questions or want to include me. I found it slowed me down, before I crafted I was anxious to get up from the floor and go do something, anything ...
My advice to you passed on from Maggie dammit - vacuum up the Polly Pocket!
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