My partner and I have completely different approaches to how our 4-year-old should play with friends, and it's becoming a problem when we're both present during playdates. I think kids need to work things out themselves and they want to step in immediately when there's any conflict or rough play, and our daughter is starting to look confused about what the rules actually are.
More people experience this than they realize.
Two parents are discovering that their conflicting philosophies about childhood autonomy and protection are creating inconsistent boundaries that confuse their child during social play.
“Where Are You with Early childhood 3-6 — play language boundaries?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.