Do you let your kids play by themselves for as long as they will or do you step in after a certain amount of time and play with them? Once in a while, my kids will play together for long periods of time (an hour, sometimes longer) and I use it to get stuff done around the house, make phone calls, etc. If they do get into an argument, I'll step in briefly to make sure no one is hurt and then encourage them to figure out a way to work things out on their own before I get further involved. I remember my sister and I used to play for hours by ourselves when we were little, and I feel like this is a great way for them to develop their sibling relationship while also building their creativity, imagination, social skills, etc....but some little part in me is also feeling a little guilty that I am leaving them to their own devices for so long! Can there be such a thing as too much unstructured play? Am I missing something or should I go with my gut and enjoy the peace and play while it lasts?

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but am interested in your thoughts!