My daughter knows that I use a pomodoro-like system of focusing on my work for 30 minutes and then taking a 5-10 minute break. When I tell her I’m too busy to play with her dolls, she’ll say, “How about taking a break?” Sometimes I say yes, but other times I need my breaks to fold laundry, read, or stare out the window in silence. While our arrangement works, I wonder if it’s the right balance of playtime and me time.
8 Things Parents Shouldn't Say to Their Kids
“Parents are often pulled in multiple directions and can’t stop what they’re doing when their children want to play,” said Katie Dilzell, an educator at The Parenting Center. “This can be difficult for young children to understand, and parents need to choose their words carefully.”
I asked parenting experts Dilzell and Mariel Benjamin, a child development specialist at Cooper, for advice on how to say no to play. They suggested trying these phrases with your kids:
“I can't play with your airplanes now. I can when I'm done with work.”
