Parallel Play Time

As Bug has gotten older, P and I have begun a dedicated effort to reclaim things for ourselves because we realized that we'd very much gotten into the habit of just doing things that Bug wanted to do. I'm not sure where that came from, because growing up I definitely remember watching whatever TV my dad was watching and being expected to entertain myself most of the time.

If I had to guess, it's because Bug's an only child, and we both enjoy doing things with her like playing board games or video games or Magical Kitties, or building legos or dominoes or whatever, so we've done it a lot. And when she was young she was very sensitive about things being too scary in movies or TV, so pretty much all we watched were preschool shows and the Food Network.

Now that she's older, she's getting much better at self-directed play. She'll play in her room with her dolls or does video games largely without needing assistance (unless she gets stuck) and plays roblox or minecraft with her friends. I've been trying to sell her on parallel play, the thing where people do the same thing in the same space so it's like doing it together even if you're working on your own projects.

Bug really likes art, so I can often get her to do art with me, especially if I'm willing to share my supplies. I can get her to paint with me or draw with markers a good percentage of the time, and that's genuinely great. She's often amenable to having Family Gaming Time, where we're all in the same room playing even if we're playing on different consoles, and she's finally a strong enough reader that we can do Family Reading Time, which is exactly what it sounds like- though usually I make sure to go for a physical book so it's clear to her that I'm reading.

Writing Time is still a challenge. She loves to tell stories and makes comics with her friends but I haven't been able to figure out how to get her to do it with me yet. Sometimes she'll go along with "I'm working on a story, do you want to hang out together while I do that?" and sometimes she doesn't. For the time being I'll just keep writing on my phone when I need to, or after her bedtime, or while she's in a class. I think when she gets a little older she'll be more interested.