If You Have a Toddler - Mill Creek,PA

I think it's important for a child to learn how to play by themselves. There will not always be someone around to entertain their whole life. I rarely play with my kids. Yes they sit on my lap and we chat or do tickles. But I let them do their own thing most of the day. I will start an activity but they do it unless they need help getting something open or putting a dress on a doll. Then they come to me for that.

Enjoy these breaks from "Mommy, I'm hungry, thirsty, want you to read a book, want to...need to..." My DD is very good at independent play (much like DH was) and there are actually days I go find her and ask her if I can join or if she wants to read or something. "Helping" is a good way to interact with her and allow her to learn from you while she is with you. If she wants to walk around with a washcloth, it's not such a bad thing. Sounds normal to me.

However, I've found that when DD is deep in play, it's even more important for her to get a warning on a change. "DD, we are going to pick up SD in 5 minutes." If I just say, "Time to go" she gets upset.

Never entertain your child unless they want you to! Encourage independent play as much as possible!

Totally normal.

Remember - she's only just seen clothespins - they're like some new alien object to her.

My son goes through the same thing. He gets curious about something and I generally just let him explore it, and after a few days, he's on to exploring something else. Not toys so much - but toilet paper, tupperware, pots and pans, paper recycling....etc.

And isn't an independent child what we all want? Someone that grows up to take care of themselves, find a career and start their own family? :)

i think one of the most important things parents can do is to let their kids entertain themselves.
khairete
S.

My almost 2 y.o. son plays very well by himself. I have always left him alone. Not out of sight, but so he has gotten use to being by himself. I think this has really helped. Sometimes he get off track and need re-direction, whether it be help with getting some new toys out, a quick book read to him or just a hug. I think playing with them is important too, as they learn from watching. However, in moderation, as playing by themselves taps into their own imagination. I love to sit back and watch. He will often mimic what I have previously shown him. This is not to say that he will sometimes grab something random around the house and play with it. Again, it's probably his imaginative play and there is a motive behind it! :) I am sure her play is completely normal!

HAHa This is so normal.. I have a 2.5 year old and also was a toddler teacher many years~ They are just started to learn to explore and adventure out new things and what things are~ It is good to let them explore as long as they are safe~ But it is good to still do things with them such as reading, art, outside time, bubbles, ect.. but for sure it is completely normal for them to enjoy to play with a box of cereal instead of a toy and then the next minute they are off somewhere else~~ Enjoy. its such a fun time to watch them explore new things~

Thanks for posting this question! I was just wondering the same thing the other day and thought about posting it - you beat me to it :)

With my daughter, who is now 6, I sat on the floor and played with her a lot. She would sometimes do her own thing, but mostly liked me entertaining her. Now that she is 6, she still likes to be entertained as opposed to using her imagination. I have to tell her to find her own fun, use her imagination, or find something she likes to do (besides video games or leappad). It's one of the times I feel like a bad parent, when I don't sit down and give them my undivided attention. But I know it's important for them to make their own fun too.

My son, who is 3, is better at entertaining himself. He'll do puzzles or play something else, and requires my attention a more reasonable amount of time. He's happy if we play some games, do activity books, play doh etc, then he'll play himself while I do stuff around the house.

I think it's normal and healthy for your daughter to play on her own, then be engaged by you for some play too.

That's great that she can entertain herself and play independently. Both of my boys are/were like that and I think it's a great thing. I do activities with them but if they want to just do their own thing, I let them. Playing independently is good "skill" to have for preschool/kindergarten.

My 20 mo old plays by himself, with his siblings (5 mo old, 4 yrs, 6 yrs & 8 yrs old) and sometimes with mom & dad. He does like to scribble, mess with blocks - more knock them down, unfold the clothing, play in the bathroom (which we are trying to brake him of without making the bathroom a "bad" place) push & ride cars around the house. dance with Elmo or when music is on the TV or computer. But he also likes to "help" us with things... like taking the folded clothes to the dressers if he see mom do it, clean up the rooms or yard if he see us do it, put dirty cloths in the washer if mom is, get the recycle ready to go out if he sees if mom is, ect.

Although I am busy with a family of 7 (5 kids at home, hubby & myself... our 8th is away from home) - I do try to make a little time for each of them, if not for play, at least something we do together - reading, baking, cooking or cuddling and watching a show and we also do a lot as a family also - swimming pool, watching movies at home, walks in the Metroparks. playgrounds & McDonald's playground & food as a treat for good behavior.

To answer your question - no you shouldn't have to entertain all day, but you should try to do something with them everyday. And yes playing with clothing and washcloths is normal... or at least in my house it is - even the 8 yr old still does in her own way.

I always let mine (or sometimes made them) do their own thing. I think it's very important that they don't grow to NEED to be entertained all the time. And if it meant playing with something that wasn't a toy rather than the "blocks" etc, then fine. I accidentally spent the most time entertaining my first (of course, she was only baby at time) and to this day, she "needs" the most attention, but she has gotten great at entertaining herself, but it took work (she was "hooked" on me always playing with her by 2 1/2 or 3 and very hard to get her to break away, so there were lots of tears when I "made her" self entertain for a while) and it helps she has two more to play with now. My second and third, who I had less time for, have always been better at entertaining themselves when necessary. My youngest, now 2 1/2 is extremely happy doing her own thing and chasing the other two all day.

My son plays well on his own, which is good for him because he still doesn't have a sibling. Several mom-friends have commented that they wish their kids played as well as him. He definitely wishes he had someone else to play with, and most times would rather I join him, but there are also times when I get "mommmmm, just be quiet pleassssse" :)

At that age, it's really best to follow their lead whenever you can. Definitely makes it easier for them to follow your directions when you need them to (like getting dressed, going somewhere, getting ready for bed). It's great to introduce her to lots of different things (ie. blocks and puzzles), but don't sweat it. If she's not into it, that's ok. You can try again in a few days. Kids have different interests, and you just never know what might grab her attention.

My 18 mo old is hard to entertain. I will catch him off playing alone so I will try to play w/ him and he usually gets distracted in a few minutes. Also when I try engaging play, it never lasts long. But bet your butt, the SECOND I start cooking dinner, cleaning, or anything else he's allover me. Its maddening. I think the 18 month-ish stage is one of the hardest. They get distracted so easily, yet they need to be stimulated all the time or they are bored.
If shes entertaining herself, thats great. Of course try to interact w/ her, but some kids are more loners then others.

I put up a baby gate in the hallway and shut the doors to the bathroom and older sisters room. They have free access to their own room and their own stuff but they play by themselves all the time. If they want me I am right there and can see them almost the entire time. The laundry, kitchen, dining, and LR are all together in one big room so I have line of sight all the time on them.

WOW thats awesome for you. I just had baby number 2 six weeks ago and so my usual time with my 2 yr old daughter has become less than usual and she is doing really well adjusting but she doesnt really know how to entertain herself yet. She is always asking me to play which is fine but it breaks my heart when I have to keep telling her - I cant right now or I will play in a few minutes or Ill be back soon
I am a SAHM so she is used to me being available 24/7 and now that I have a new baby its really hard to share my time with the both of them
Consider yourself lucky that she plays so well alone