If I only had a sister instead of a brother, we'd spend more time together and play house.

I think the original implies "we would be spending..."
Also, дочки-матери it's just playing with dolls, isn't so? No play house is involved as far as I know.

If only I had a little sister instead of a little brother, we would be spending more time together, playing with dolls.

WE WOULD BE SPENDING is used when you actually HAVE a little brother because it implies that you’re not doing it now in reality. It’s not hypothetical, but real: (1) If I had won the lottery I WOULD BE LIVING IN A MANSION, not in this beat-up trailer. (=a different actual reality based on someone suspicion/belief that he actually won the lottery). (2) If I won the lottery, I WOULD LIVE IN A MANSION instead of this beat-up trailer. (=hypothetical projection based on an unrealized/unsuspected reality)

Another keep-worthy explanation!🙏
Suzy Homemaker is also interesting. 👍
I'm being curious if it's an accurate translation for дочки-матери, which Russ was questioning.

Suzy Homemaker is when girls play at being adult mothers and daughters cooking food for when their husbands come home, taking care of babies, baking cakes, playing mother-daughter, etc.

So it's exactly what we call дочки-матери.

👍🏼 😉