Playing on their own at 18 months..

[UmmInayah]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone's bub played on their own at 18 months? DD is clinging off my constantly during the day. She is on my hip whenever I am doing anything!! I just want to be able to sit without her climbing all over me or without her clinging to my leg.

I keep her toy area really neat, so there is easy access to her toys, and there aren't too many to overwhelm her. She just is never interested!! I sit with her and play all the time, but she gets bored so easily. She has taken to climbing on her table and chairs as well and dancing on the table :(

I am getting really tired of it, being pregnant etc. I just want some space.

[naiwen]

My 18 month old does play by himself, infact I wish he would let me play with him but he pushes my hands away lol.

He runs of and does his thing and I think uh-oh whats he up to now!

Do you think it's because she wants to be close to your wonderfull booby milk?

[Whoops]

My DS2 is similar, not much interests him except for climbing and jumping on things and toys only interest him for little periods of time and can be quiet clingy which is annoying sometimes! He currently attends day care for a few hours a day, so I can have a rest and get some peace as I am pregnant also. I have found that he mostly enjoys being outdoors and running feral, however my backyard is not secure and it can be tiring chasing him arounsd. Hopefully he will grow out of it soon and play by himself.

is there anyone that can take her off your hands for a few hours? Have you got a secure backyard that she can run around and explore in? Just some ideas, but i will be keeping an eye on this thread for other ideas for my DS as well.

[UmmInayah]

My DS2 is similar, not much interests him except for climbing and jumping on things and toys only interest him for little periods of time and can be quiet clingy which is annoying sometimes! He currently attends day care for a few hours a day, so I can have a rest and get some peace as I am pregnant also. I have found that he mostly enjoys being outdoors and running feral, however my backyard is not secure and it can be tiring chasing him arounsd. Hopefully he will grow out of it soon and play by himself.

is there anyone that can take her off your hands for a few hours? Have you got a secure backyard that she can run around and explore in? Just some ideas, but i will be keeping an eye on this thread for other ideas for my DS as well.

I have green ants in my backyard, which is a pain in the butt. I do let her run around outside on her own on occasion, but I have bird food sitting on the floor as well so she merrily goes and helps herself to it :barf:

naiwen, man, I wish my DD would just run around and do whatever. My DD wants to be outside, she wants to go out all the time to.. she keeps telling me she wants to go shopping or swimming or walking..

I just hope this phase passes soon. I would let her watch as much TV as she wanted if she would sit still, too!

[naiwen]

Because she is so advanced, do you think she would be more interested in role play games? Where she could pretend to go shopping, be a mummy etc?

[Starlet]

My DS3 will play on his own sometimes, but he'd much rather follow hubby or I around the house. I do have older kids though and they will often keep him occupied when I'm trying to get things done.

[UmmInayah]

Because she is so advanced, do you think she would be more interested in role play games? Where she could pretend to go shopping, be a mummy etc?

I do play roleplaying type games with her. She will tell me when her bear is crying etc.

Although I have never tried having like a shopping type game. I might get some things from the pantry and have a play with a shopping basket..

[Freya]

K plays on his own a fair bit... Not with toys though he can access the plastic cupboard in the kitchen and he pulls everything out screws lids on to bottles, puts lids onto containers ect.. I also give him big rocks and water and paint brushes and he makes a big mess but he loves it.

[justmum]

We have a sandpit with a lid and I put my DS in that with a bowl of water and lots of shovels and buckets and toys and he will happily sit there chatting to me and playing away. I pull up a chair and sit next to him and rest.

We also use the plastic cupboard - all "his" plastics are in a big tub and I pull the tub out on the ground and he merrily plays in that. He sets a table for lunch and sits down to "eat" so cute :goodvibes: Again I sit down next to him and rest while he plays away.

Either of those he'll happily keep playing on his own for up to an hour or more. I have to stay there and chat, but I can at least rest.

[MilkOnTap]

Jedd loves his cuddles as well - but has in the last week or two began learning how to play on his own. Teaching him how to play with things like playdough, how to colour in with crayons and that its okay for him to turn the pages in the books himself have helped.

Have you tried rotating her toys for her? Jedd always goes for the same ones that are always at the top of the 'pile' so sometimes by digging down a bit deeper we find something that he'd forgotten about - or finds a new use for an old toy. Some people separate their toys into a few different buckets/boxes and bring out a new box each day.

We have also just discovered the 'Brainy Baby' DVD collection. Jedd only has the 'English' one so far, but he loves it! It's easy to deal with while heavily pregnant as well :hugs:

[UmmInayah]

Thanks for all the advice.

DD will play with playdough as well, but gets REALLY frustrated very easily. She will squish it and throw it all over the place. She will draw, but only if I am sitting next to her :hair:. She will play in the sandpit, but only if I am in there with her so she can cover my legs in sand. She will pretend to cook with me when I open up a cupboard for her to take things out of, but she wants REAL food in there - garlic, meat - as it is she wastes so much food that she doesn't eat and I HATE to waste food, otherwise I would let her go for it if I knew she would eat it.

I rotate her toys a lot. Infact most of her toys are ALL in easy reach. I am really particular about how her toys are set out, and I change the setting often to make sure she sees different things, but she is just not interested. She prefers to have an adult playing with her.

Ah well, I will keep trying different things and see what happens. I hope it hasn't got to do with her feeling like she is insecure? I always worry about that, but I am with her ALL the time!

[justmum]

Try gradual withdrawal - if she's doing an activity she likes, say "mummy's going to stand here for a minute" and got to the door and talk to her.

Then the next day, "mummy's just going to stand here for a minute" and stand just outside the door and talk to her.

Then the next day - "mummy's going to the kitchen for a minute" and leave and come back after 1 minute.

And so on.

[UmmInayah]

Try gradual withdrawal - if she's doing an activity she likes, say "mummy's going to stand here for a minute" and got to the door and talk to her.

Then the next day, "mummy's just going to stand here for a minute" and stand just outside the door and talk to her.

Then the next day - "mummy's going to the kitchen for a minute" and leave and come back after 1 minute.

And so on.

Thanks JM. I might have to do that!