April 03, 2008 - 8:56 AM.

Mothers who lack playful imagination

Sometimes, I think parents just allow themselves to be lazy.

When I hear a mother lament that her child wants her to play with him, but she doesn't like it, and then other mothers bolster her up by saying, "I just tell my kid that it's my job to take care of her but not my job to play with her," I want to throw up. My heart feels sad for the lonely little kids who just want to play with their parents. (These same parents do tend to admit that children learn through playing, but apparently are only willing to offer learning help when it suits them.)

I just can't imagine rebuffing my sweet little boy every single time he wanted to play Imagine, or Riding The Bus, or Miss Kitty Flies An Airplane, or Let's Make A House With Mommy As The Door, or Tent, or the million other games he makes up for himself that need a playmate. I can't imagine just leaving him to his own devices to figure out what to do with paint or play-doh every time. I can't imagine refusing to teach him songs, or play Taking Care of My Stuffies, or make piles of leaves to rustle through. "I'm his mother, not his friend or sibling," these heartless people proclaim -- as if helping him learn through play were a responsibility they are happy to shirk.

Dicks.

previous - next