Help. I don't want to play with Barbie or Paw Patrol

DGD is also going through a ‘Paw Patrol’ phase, though does seem to be moving on to Spider-Man now. I’m quite glad as I don’t really know all the characters in PP, even now.

Each of her phases has lasted just a few months. I am happy to play along with her as directed but I do set the oven timer - when the buzzer goes it’s time for me to do something else. That way I can limit the game to half an hour or so I need to. Amazingly none of my GCn have ever queried the authority of the oven timer!

Playing with a small child all day can be boring. My DGS likes cars and, boats and planes so my DH takes the lead there, my youngest DGD likes crafting which I quite enjoy. I can remember one DGD insisting on playing hospitals and I quite enjoyed being the patient and having a lie on the sofa.

BlueBelle

She’s not even 3 yet shes not really old enough to be playing on her own and why would she when there’s a Nan there

Exactly!
Put up with it OP, your little DGD wants to play with you.An only child is sometimes a lonely child.
I have to play shops with my DGC it could go on all day but I usually allow an hour for it before we move on to Lego or something else.

There are a lot of assumptions here!

You can love rôle-play and hate Barbie/weapons. Do it with dress-up/ lego/ playmobile/the cutlery and pepperpot or just yourselves

You can send children home happy after encouraging them to try something new as well as playing more of the same. It needn't be a sacrifice!

You can "set everything aside" for your grandchildren and still both have choices.

I think the toy retailer is making terrible generalisations - who said that a child's favourite toy is one that grownups play with with them: but an adults favourite is one that the child plays with on their own.
...What is nicer than playing with your children/grandchildren using a mutually loved toy, board game, construction set?

To those grandparents who say "just do whatever they want" - maybe I could borrow you pleaae to chase my youngest grandchild through the woodlands "being a monster" for a day???

I feel for you IvyGeranium.

DGS with ASC was easier, but tiring.
Whatever he was focused on at the time had to be done exactly as he said. From a very young age, he did the organisation, ran the dialogues, directed the actions and I said the right words and I did as I was told.

Does your granddaughter like books? Mine DGC loved the “Thats not my . . . “ series. We read them so often that they could also “read” them to me.

BlueBelle

*I guess those who say make the most of it did enjoy pretend games themselves*
No Lathyrus I didn’t and never have enjoyed role play but
I d happily sacrifice my likes for what they were happy doing, cos I wanted them to have good memories of their times with Nan and I wanted to send them home happy at the end of the day, it was as simple as that

I have to agree with you there, BlueBelle.

My oldest ds never wanted anyone to play with him. If they did, he’d surreptitiously disappear behind the sofa with a couple of toys and play happily on his own. He always wanted books read to him, though. He’s still the same today, perfectly happy with his own company, so long as he has a book.

One of my GC would want someone to play with him but you weren’t allowed to join in. He would give us a car or something similar to hold and then we had to sit there, toy in hand, doing nothing and staying silent while he played. Now that really was boring!

She’s not even 3 yet shes not really old enough to be playing on her own and why would she when there’s a Nan there

I guess those who say make the most of it did enjoy pretend games themselves
No Lathyrus I didn’t and never have enjoyed role play but
I d happily sacrifice my likes for what they were happy doing, cos I wanted them to have good memories of their times with Nan and I wanted to send them home happy at the end of the day, it was as simple as that

How about having a crafting playtime? Bits of coloured paper or fabric scraps with glue to create a picture? Yes it’s a bit messy but it would help her co-ordination, colour identification and shapes wouldn’t it? Same can be done with dry pasta too.

I once heard an interview with a toy retailer who said that a child's favourite toy is one that grownups play with with them: but an adults favourite is one that the child plays with on their own.

Presumably there are other children at soft play who are on the slides etc so you could have more of a break there. Our local soft play doesn’t allow adults on the equipment as it takes up space needed for little ones and some adults can be a bit too boisterous. If she goes to nursery she’ll be used to playing with children anyway. And asking her to bake cakes when she’s fully involved with Barbie etc - well that’s your choice not hers. While you can let her know that a tantrum is not acceptable try being led by her sometimes even if it doesn’t interest you so much. You can still have a cuppa while Paw Patrol pups are having a tea party or, like someone else suggested, put that TV programme on for half an hour so you can both have a break. I’m surprised how much my GC learn from occasional quality children’s TV programmes. She’s probably tired as well after all that activity so make allowances for her age, maybe you’re trying to cram in too much activity for her.

Playing barbie is how you bond with her.

She is almost 3, being bossy is normal

Not all adults enjoy doing what the kids ask - please do think about your time together with her now as you will miss it in the future

You have my sympathies our DGD only ever wanted to play role play Vets, schools, airports to name a few. They were never interested in the TV.
I used to say Grandmas having a coffee break now, then they would sit either side of me peering into my cup to see how much I had left, bless ‘em it’s over in a flash though.

How well I remember it, only in DGD's case it was 'All creatures Great and Small. I played the vet, she played helen and two dolls played the children. She played it, and played it and played it.

Every so often I would suggest that James had to go off and see a poorly cow. I would get about a 30 second break before being told very firmly that the cow was better now.

I was not a child caring grandmother so was not faced with it all day every day. You have my sympathy IvyGeranium.

But they do grow out of it - eventually.

Noooo!
Barbie is horrible!
🤕
But if you must play with Barbie you could have a make party food play doh activity.
Sitting, chopping etc.
That always seemed to go down well here.

I know how you feel. I had three daughters, 5 years apart, but they would always amuse themselves. I would play with them but they never asked me.
The same for my 5 elder grandchildren except for one who would stick to my side and never play with his siblings except to torment them. I would sit and start making a house with Lego and suggest he finish it, which he had no inclination to do. It drove me mad.

Well the whole thing of having your grandchild is to enjoy it.

So if Paw Patrol leaves you dreading the day or wanting to bang your head against the wall then just do other stuff you can both enjoy.

I guess those who say make the most of it did enjoy pretend games themselves🙂

Playmobil and Brio I spent hours building tracks and making up stories.
Isn’t that how they learn?
Wish I’d had Barbies, I would have enjoyed them better than hot wheels….

Just value it as it’s a very precious time and you are privileged
It ll never return unless you’re lucky enough to have great grandkids and you’re not too old to enjoy them It lasts such a short time before you know it it ll be after school clubs and other friends houses and you ll soon be redundant and won’t have to make the sacrifice of a bit of grandaughters favourite play toys….. and then if you have any boy grandkids it ll be standing in the wind and rain and cold every Saturday watching him play football
I d give a thousand pound to be back on the football pitch cheering those little legs on and making slides from chair to chair for actionman to escape on
Now it’s peppa pig and paw patrol and dinosaurs you lucky lady

I did loads with my kids and have very happy memories of dressing up boxes, “treasure box” of egg boxes, loo roll middles, glitter, glue, cardboard etc. We did loads of painting, colouring, making stuff and we also used to walk most days to feed the ducks and go on the play park. I think fresh air and running around tires them out so they look forward to a quiet period.

When I had other stuff to do like cooking or hanging washing out I just told them it was time to play without me. I can’t remember it ever being a problem. They soon learned the rules! 😉

You sound like you have found a good mix of activities for your day together.

When ours were small, the children learned PDQ that adults just won't play with someone who screams rude demands , hits, throws toys, knocks the game over etc.

Am afraid my GCs are the same, one wants me to play at taking baby to nursery/the shops/the play park and looking after her when she is poorly, is a never ending game, and the other wants me to play Spider-Man or superman which involves racing round with a tea towel tucked into his top to look like a cape whilst I have to need rescuing from sone evil villain.
My problem is I am no good at getting down to floor level, or I find it hard to get back up again, and most games involve getting on the floor. So I get out the play doh or the crayons and paper on the dining room table and we create stuff or we make scones or biscuits. Another good option is a walk looking for conkers in this season.

She goes to nursery for 4 days a week where there always other children and adults to play with. The adults don’t often say no because playing is what they are paid to do!

So it’s not surprising her expectations are the same at home😁

Myself I always found role play with children very tedious and I know I wasn’t very good at it and they found me unsatisfactory. Like you I was a doing sort of person

Go along with her play until you can’t do anymore and then do something else seems reasonable to me.