Are my kids the only ones who pretend-play this way?

[Whisperlily]

They make up a "script" for what the other child will say. Not a written script, but most of the time when they're playing this is what I hear:

J: I'm a ________ and I'm running real fast, and I see you and you say: "Wait! Where are you going?"

M: Wait! Where are you going?

J: And I say " I'm going to save the world, do you have any water?" And you say: "No, we need to find a lake."

M: "We need to find a lake" And so I hop in my truck to help you find the lake and you tell me to "Go full speed ahead"

J: "Go full speed ahead!" And the brakes go out, and you start screaming, "Aaah, we have to..."

M: "Aaah... we have to..." and then you say "blah blah, blah

So strange. All my kids have played this way, scripting each other in their pretend play, and they always go along with the other's plan, say the words the other has already said, and add to it. They verbalize their intent and what they want the other child to do, how they want them to respond instead of just 'acting it out.' I've never heard other kids play in quite the same way, so I wondered if it was common.

[Aisling]

:giggle I used to do that...ahhh, childhood memories. :heart

[Marsha]

my dd does, which is why I don't like to pretend play with her. She gets very rigid if her script isn't followed.

[MoongardenMama]

My girls do this too. It's mostly the 5 you doing the orchestrating. They do it even when I'm playing with them. And yes, when someone deviates from the script you hear, "Nooooo M-a-o-a-m, you're supposed to say..." :lol Goofy kids.

[mom2jolakeil]

Mine do it too. I thought they were wierd, but in the childcare I work at (the gym) they do it too.

[Herbwifemama]

I remember trying to organize our fantasy play, but I don't remember telling the other kids what to say- I just remember telling them what to do. :giggle

[rosesnsnails]

My dd used to do this A LOT. She has toned it down some now that she's 7.

[Close2MyHeart]

:yes They do that ALL the time.

[mom2threegirls]

Yup, my DD's do this :yes Well, mostly my 7 y/o and the 4 y/o is told what to say. She often doesn't and gets mad and put off about being told what to say :giggle. 7 y/o tries to get the 3 y/o to follow her script too and she just looks at her like this :hunh. :lol But when you get DD and some of her friends together they ALL do this and it drives me crazy ;). I remember doing this as a kid. :yes

[Niphredil]

I did that when I was little... of course, only me - not my sisters, cause I was the bossy one ;)

[Whisperlily]

LOL, well, I guess it's not unusual after all! :) They sound so cute when they're playing, I always get a chuckle out of it.

I guess I never played that way because I had 2 much older brothers, so no real built-in playmates. ;)

[HomeWithMyBabies]

I did that when I was little... of course, only me - not my sisters, cause I was the bossy one ;)


Same here, my sister was always given her lines, she never got to make them up. :O

[allisonintx]

oh, yes, my kids do that. I remember doing it as a child, too.

[TestifyToLove]

ALL of mine do this. They call it playing a play. They play plays all the time around here, and whomever comes up with the play directs EVERYONE for the duration of the play.

[mom2threegirls]

They play plays all the time around here, and whomever comes up with the play directs EVERYONE for the duration of the play.

:lol That sounds like my kids! They are always putting on plays for us ;) The older two will write out a script and make tickets and they will invite us to come see their "play" :giggle. And the little one is told what to do (though she usually doesn't comply ;)). :heart

[hey mommy]

C does that.. and so did evrey child i ever babysat. i think its a normal childhood thing. :)

[Ima LeShalosh]

I did it when I was a kid...my oldest does it, and I am starting to notice that our youngest is doing it as well.