# Is there such thing as TOO MUCH pretending?



## Jazmyn (Sep 17, 2005)

My ds will be three in January. He's a wonderfully bright boy and very chatty - always seeming a little older than he is.

Early on he had an interest in animals - as I'm sure most children do. We latched on to that interest and nurtured it by reading him animal books, frequent trips to the zoo and lots of animal toys. As a result he now corrects his daycare teachers about animals and knows all animals from baluga whales to lemurs, chamelons and other odd animals that I don't even know, let alone a 2.5 year old.

Nothing wrong with all that except, he will often act like an animal. Going around the apartment on all fours, rubbing his head against your leg or even licking. He often roars or neighs loudly. Frankly, it's driving me nuts!

DS also plays pretend in other ways, too - pretending to be the teacher or mom or dad - no problem...

My problem is this...when asked to stop pretending now, he continues. I don't want to infringe on his creativity - I think it's great - but sometimes, like at bedtime - I don't want ds stomping like an elephant while standing on his bed when I'm trying to settle him down for sleep.

So, you ask, what's my question...I don't really know...except to say - Should I be worried that he pretends SO much and SO vividly??? Or is this quite normal? How do relinquish control (I'm a self confessed control freak) and do the right thing here instead of doing what I think I want? We're first time parents so all this is new to us!


----------



## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

My daughter is the same way. She's five now and will still spend an entire day being a puppy dog or whatever. Lately she's been an ewok for hours or a day or so at a time.

Kids just like pretend. It's fun. I just play along with it.

At bedtime, if my daughter is being a cat, I'll say that the kitty needs to use her litter box and have her teeth brushed and crawl into her kitty bed. If she were an elephant I'd do something similar. But I just play along with it. I even sing lullabyes to kitties and dinosaurs and ewoks, etc.


----------



## hipumpkins (Jul 25, 2003)

My 5 year old has been Mary Poppins for a week straight.


----------



## chinaKat (Aug 6, 2005)

I have spent the better part of the last two weeks trying to explain to my 3yo DD that I really, really prefer her giving me "people" kisses instead of "puppy" kisses.

Especially the stealth kind. Nothing like being surprised by a big goopy lick from forehead to chin. Bleah!


----------



## MtBikeLover (Jun 30, 2005)

My kids pretend a lot too. I think it is very normal at this age. Their imagination astounds me! We just play along. One time, I had to feed them their dinner on the floor because they were both dogs.


----------



## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

I think imangations are great and overall no never too much. However there might be a time where needing to switch back in a "child" is important. we had to work with that with our DD who at 4 went soo much into the I'm a puppy that she spent 3 VERY expensive speach therapy secessions barking,







I wasn't mad I know its totally age appropiate and we will always have the funny memory but we did talk about sometimes needed her to be a girl. She got it and goes aprropiately back and forth


----------



## ramama (Apr 13, 2007)

My DD is almost four, but when she was closer to three, she pretended A LOT! Once she was a dog for weeks straight. Including a visit to the allergist's office where she proceeded across the parking lot with shoes on her hands and feet, walking on all fours, with a ribbon tied around her neck which she insisted I hold. I thought that I looked like a crazy lady. When the allergists came into the office to see her, he put out his hand to shake her doggie paw and she licked his hand. I was mortified. She has recently outgrown it, and I hadn't even noticed until I saw this thread.

In short, this is something that they will outgrow. I know the frustration, though. Sometimes I just wanted my little girl to be my little girl.

I guess I have no real advice, just know you're not alone and this won't last forever.


----------



## wannabe (Jul 4, 2005)

Normal. it is hard to put elephants to bed, isn't it?


----------



## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

I believe I am the only one of my neighbors ever to stand at the top of the street yelling "Penguin, come back!" Dd was busy being a penguin, and was waddling down the block. It's the only way I could get her back. She would not respond to her name.

I have been known to say things like "It's really too bad you're an X, because they can't have/do/eat...." It usually brings them around.

Ds spent 2 years being a recycling truck driver. 1 year being a fire fighter, while dd was his dalmatian.

The only thing I draw the line at is puppy kisses. I refuse to be licked. They've each tried once, and on the basis of my extreme reaction, haven't tried again.


----------



## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

When DS tells me he's a puppy (or a kitten or a robot or whatever) at bedtime, I just roll with it and tell him that it's bedtime for puppies (or kittnes or robots or whatever.) I find that usually works better than trying to get him to stop pretending AND settle down to sleep.

Oh, and I've had good luck with "since your'e pretending to be a puppy, you can pretend to lick me."


----------

