We’ve all heard this in newspaper reports etc. and I, for one, firmly believe it - how do you make up games if every minute of your day is filled with activity planned for you?  I’ve also seen it happen with my girls on many an occassion - they whinge and whine for a bit if I’m busy, but all of a sudden I realise I haven’t heard a moan from them for a while and go to investigate.  They always find some way to amuse themselves - either ‘reading’ upstairs on Flopsy’s bed (an activity that can consume them for upwards of half an hour, which is pretty impressive when you consider their ages!); or making up the most fantastic fantasy games.  These games are getting more and more interesting as Flopsy gets older.  Yesterday was the most wonderful yet: Flopsy had the easel out, which has a magnetic board on one side, and had put most of her magnetic letters on it really neatly.  They had all the tupperware out and the place-mats, and their play-food, and a few dishcloths.  They also had a big plastic box that I use as a laundry box, which was filled with an empty biscuit tin and some more place-mats.  I have absolutely no idea what part each seemingly random item played in their game, but I was expressly forbidden from tidying any of it away as it was their cafe.  I’ve had to leave it out all day today as well!  The laundry box was a drawer, I think, but I can’t work out what anything else was.  The cafe game has taken up hours of play and it’s really made my heart swell

The other thing they’ve been spending a lot of time doing (although where they picked it up from I have no idea - certainly not me!), is cleaning windows with a wet cloth!  I’m not complaining about that one

So I’ve been telling myself what a wonderful parent I am for ignoring them all yesterday while I worked