I won’t play with my kids — I ‘sittervise’ them because I shouldn’t get too involved

A mom-of-two who ‘sittervises’ her children says that parents have got too involved when it comes to child play.

Sittervising is where parents will sit down while supervising their children instead of joining in with the play — and has become a buzz word on social media.

Laynah Rose Crawley, 32, says ‘sittervising’ teaches children social and language skills and gives parents freedom to catch up on housework while they play.

Crawley swears by the technique and says it has helped both her children, Bryan, six, and Benjamin, five, with their development.

The stay at home mum said parents have become too involved with their children’s play and should take a step back.

Crawley, a homemaker, from New Orleans, Louisiana, said: “There is a rumor that parents need to play with their kids at every single moment.

“Adults have so much responsibility and we need time to work on those alongside our children.

“Sittervising is good especially for toddler ages as they don’t want you to leave the room.

“I use this to get my keeps not to need me constantly but have me available.”

Crawley gave birth to Benjamin in October 2018 and four months later, adopted Bryan in January 2019.

In the space of a few months, Laynah had a newborn and a toddler to look after and needed a way to get them to play together.

She said: “It was difficult at the time, I had a baby and a toddler — I was a brand new mom.

“I would sit with them, give them their toys and step back and watch them play.

“It was something that helped me get other thigs done and it gave me a break.”

Laynah swears by ‘sittervising’ and says it is good for their development as her children are learning through play.

She said: “They are either playing with Lego blocks or doing imaginative play.

“Imaginative play is so good for kids, as they are acting out different scenarios.

“It allows them to understand the world around them.”

At first, Crawley said she experienced guilt but once she saw the benefits of independence play the guilt soon disappeared.

She said: “It is natural to feel guilty at first but when I realised how beneficial it was for them the guilt went away.

“Sittervising can support different aspects of their development, physical, emotional and language skills are the big one.

“It can also reduce stress for the parents to know that their children are alright and they are safe.”