I seldom see parents or adults play with children at gatherings. A lot of lip service is given about how people love children, but really it is mostly their own children they are talking about unfortunately.

I was mostly ignored by my aunts and uncles except once when a very religious aunt and uncle in Ohio lured me to their childless home on the pretext of getting to know me better and to promise me some of their crystal. So when I am with extended family I yearn for my brothers and their wives to pay attention to my children. I don't know where this desire comes from- I guess you just want them to see how wonderful your children are.

I love children and often play with them at gatherings because I find adults too "scripted" as the article states. Kids are just more fun and spontaneous and unjudgmental of course.

Re playing with your own children, I always have, but have to especially interact with my daughter because she is high functioning autistic and not outgoing as a result. Her whole world is her computer, her music, and her family so we spend quite a lot of time together. This sort of dynamic is probably being played out in most homes where there are special needs children of this type.

not everyone likes to play unscripted as you do. there's nothing wrong with you liking it and nothing wrong with them not. you're different people with different likes and dislikes. i have NEVER understood why anyone thought that other people should like their kids just because they do. it's the same to me as when i was little and if my mom met someone with a kid near my age, then we'd have to play together because somehow being in the same age range makes us friends. but it didn't. i didnt like them, vice versa. so as a grown up, why would i like kids that are unlike me anymore than i did when i WAS a kid? i do get along with some kids- the ones that remind me of me. that's human nature. you like your kids because they remind you of YOU because they 1. share your DNA and 2. you're helping to shape how they think and who they are. it's that simple.

Nothing is ever "that simple".