Does anyone else find it so hard to play with their kids :(

So my toddler is about to be 3 next month and she is in an imaginative stage. I’m a SAHM and she wants to pretend play and because I’m so exhausted all the time (and honestly depressed af) I cannot work up the energy to be imaginative. I do take the time out but it’s really hard and I mostly say I can’t rn. Every time I walk in her sight she chases me down with her toys to play lol. And I feel so bad cause most of the time I just don’t want to 😭

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In the same boat! My toddler 3 in June and this has been a really hard phase in regards to playing. I have an 8mo too and I dread playing sometimes.

@Haley I feel like such a bad parent because I don’t enjoy it 😩 I enjoy otter things like having her ride her bike or scooter outside while I chill or we color or do crafts but playing pretend is sooooo hard and that’s all she’d rather do.

I just try to redirect to something I don't hate so much. Board games, puzzles, drawing, coloring, crafts, exploring outside, reading together. I very much do not like to pretend play.

@Katlyn the only thing she would rather do is read and crafts but the crafts are a lot of preparation so it’s not something we do weekly as far as crafts go and reading I love as well as she but it’s mostly a bed time thing.

Could you try and craft with something that is really low prep? Like making figures out of pipe cleaners or wikki stix. Or using sidewalk chalk.

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