Hannah is in her "house" acting busy and talking to herself in a low voice. I am supposed to knock on the door. She takes her time answering because obviously she is busy doing something. Then we introduce ourselves and shake hands. We usually exchange some pleasantries such as, "Very nice to meet you, ma'am". She explains to her neighbor (me) that she was making an apple pie for us to eat. Although I never get to actually eat this pie because she tells me that it is too hot. Always. Sometimes she tells me that she burned it. Too bad.
This game ends when one of us gets bored (usually Hannah because I can pretend all day!)
We also play "Customer" quite often. The type of store changes depending on where we are. Upstairs in the play area we have a table set up with all her plastic food and a toy cash register. I always have to be the grocery shopper and Hannah is always the cashier. I load my basket up with pizza slices, cookies, bell pepper and eggs and go up to the cashier who helps me put them into old Walmart bags. Again, we exchange pleasantries and more often then not I invite the cashier over to my house for dinner. (This is very similar to how my mom's real life shopping experiences end.) We discuss her children (she named them Stick and Toots) and mine and then the game is over.
Sometimes "Customer" takes place in a pretend Cafe very similar to Barnes & Noble. Hannah is the cafe server who makes me drinks and scones. Don't bother asking for anything special to go with that because this cafe is bare bones. One time I asked for a fork and was told, "I'm afraid we don't have forks, only spoons." I asked for butter and again, "I'm afraid we are all out of butter."
I'm usually all about the make believe games and like to encourage them. I'm thinking maybe I've gone a little overboard. The other day Hannah told me that she and Cassie play a game called "Poacher and Baby Jaguar." Not. Good.
4 comments:
hahahahahahahahaha Funny from start to finish.
hahaha, I laughed so hard when I got to the poacher and baby jaguar part.
I must insist that we play customer the next time I get the chance to visit with Hannah. Sounds like too much fun. I don't suppose we could change the name of the game to "Bad Customer" I could play that game really well.
You know, I read an article (in the NY Times maybe?) recently about how deliberate pretend play with kids and adults is the best thing to do for a child's self-discipline. Sounds like Hannah is going to be very much in control of herself as she grows up. :)
- Amanda M.
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