Originally Posted by Lawson2:
I don't have my own daycare yet (I am waiting until we have baby #2), but I nanny and have nannied for many years.
Most of the families I have cared for over the years have had strict electronic time rules. The kids rarely watched tv, etc.... They didn't/don't know how to play! BUT.... Their schedules didn't allow for any downtime. Since a young age, they have had a constant nanny companion, classes, or play dates non stop. One girl, age 7, actually said to me (when I said find something to do, on a 12 hour stuck in the house snow day), "I don't know what to do!!!" and she was all flustered. I had to 100% entertain her and was expected to do so, because I was being paid....
Now I have my own child, who is 4. His friends (at the age of 4) are running from one activity to another. I believe in balance. He takes swim (on top of preschool) and may take another activity, but I don't feel the need to have him in a fancy camp, or an abundance of classes. One of his friends moms just asked me how I deal with the, "I am bored stage". Honestly, my child has never said he is bored. That may happen when he enters school, but he doesn't even know what the word means.
Don't get me wrong, he can get rambunctious and drive me a bit crazy at times, but he doesn't expect me to entertain him every two seconds.
I think that is part of the problem..... Free play has gone out the window.
I just read an article about play dates..... How play dates used to be a time for parents to catch up, while the kids played. Now, there is an expectation of some sort of entertainment, whether decorating cookies, an art and craft, etc....
I definitely see that where I live.
Here is an example of something that just happened to me....
I had my friend over with her 3 children. The twins were 5 years old. I have one child, who is 4. We stayed in the playroom with the kids (as she has a little one also) My child played and I didn't hear a peep from him. We have a large loft climber that the kids enjoy. My friend's daughter insisted her mother climb into this loft and have a tea party. And the mother did it. We couldn't even have a conversation. Well, the mother was trying, by sticking her head out of the loft. Now.... If it was me.... I would have told my child... I am talking with my friend, you have your friends, now go play. But.. I see this a lot. At least I can relax while my son is with his friends. 
Another mom came over and said to me that she couldn't believe another mother tells her child to, "go play". She said, "I would never do that, I like to be hands on". But..... This mother also sends her children to an all day childcare facility, so she is only with them on the weekends/evenings. Don't get me wrong, I love playing with my child, but not every single minute.....
I do believe kids are growing up to expect instant gratification....
YES!
My sister and I have 8 kids between us. They are mostly grown now, but I remember a few years ago, we were sitting in the living room talking, and she suddenly said "Do you realize, we have SIX children in this house?"
They were all (voluntarily) split up in the bedrooms PLAYING. The youngest one was 2 or so.
I can hardly go to the bathroom here. My kiddos engage for a few minutes here or there, but there is constant redirection needed. It's tricky to supervise them and still step back so that they CAN play without adult interruption. This morning, I watched them on the video monitor and they actually played for a good 20 minutes. I even saw some cooperative play. They are 4 kiddos, 15m-23m old.
