How many of you moms out there have kids who want to play with you… all day?! Don’t get me wrong, I understand the whole, “enjoy it while they’re young” business, and “they grow up so fast” thing, and I seriously do love playing with my kids! Seeing your own child grow and learn and having them make you laugh and think and grow yourself, is the absolute most rewarding thing in the entire world.
But lately my little three-year-old has started insisting that I play with him all day long for every second of the day. Even after we just got back from a fun outing together, or I’ve been playing with him for an hour, or there’s a movie on the TV, I can’t shake him!!
I guess what I’m getting at is that I am feeling so guilty during the times that I have to do the dishes, fold laundry, make dinner, or simply just sit and take a breath because he’s at my side with those big, blue eyes saying, “mom, I wan play wif you” or recently he’s switched it up and asks, “mom you wan’ play wih me?” but the best one is when he gives me a hug and says, “mom you cute” just because he knows I can’t resist it.
Do any of you have this same problem?
Do you ever feel mom guilt?
Sometimes I feel like a bad mom because I’m just all played out.
How much time do you spend playing with your little ones?
Please comment and let me know what you think!
-Tara
P.S. Sorry this was kind of a downer post, but my hope is that you can come to my blog and know that I am being honest and real with you.
Boston is the EXACT same way!! When I need a break I have him do something next to me on the couch like a puzzle or I give him some iPad time while I check my phone. When I’m seriously not feeling good he does really well if I set the timer for a certain amount of time that he must play alone in his play room before we can play together again. Start short amounts of time & then stretch it out! As much as I know he needs me to play I also want him to develop his imagination & independent time. It is so so hard though! While I’m in the kitchen he has a big box he stands on at the island & plays play doh or a sticker book. He loves bath time & our tub & shower are separate so when I’m struggling he’ll take a decent length bath just to play! Good luck! Threes are my hardest age yet, besides newborn!
I have the same guilt all the time! My little girl constantly says in the sweetest voice ever “hey mom, do you wanna play wif me? Okay, let’s go!” Haha so hard to resist. But sometimes I have to remember I have to take care of myself and my husband too, aka make dinner and do laundry. It’s hard to find a balance. Let me know if you find it:)
I hear you. It’s so tough. But at one point I realized that kids need to know how to be alone for awhile. We, as parents, aren’t doing them any favors by constantly playing with them. They need to learn to be independent. It’s hard to say no sometimes when they want you so badly, but it can actually be a good thing. Plus, like Jessalyn said, moms need “me” time. I think we are better moms when we get breaks. We’re less likely to lose our patience and more likely to appreciate the times we do play with our kids. But that doesn’t mean the mommy guilt won’t still be there. It’s a curse.
Maybe try some quiet boxes? Start with 10 minutes twice a day with a quiet box in their rooms. Then slowly work it up to 30.
Thanks for commenting you guys! it makes me feel so much better.
Thanks brit for your idea of slowly increasing his independent time in increments. A little at a time until he’s used to it. It makes sense!