My toddler does not play by himself

Help! My 18 month old toddler does not play by himself. He needs constant entertainment. I guess it would help if he had siblings, but so far he's my only one. I sit down to play with him for awhile, but as soon as I quietly sneak away, he forgets about his toys and follows me wherever I go. He's never been big on toys. He mostly likes anything thats not a toy. Anyways...I'm wondering if there are any other moms who have gone throught this. It would be nice if he would play by himself for awhile so I can sit and relax for awhile or get some house cleaning done.

posted May 23, 2007 - 12:03am

Comments

Raemarie wrote 1 year 26 weeks ago

Growing up I was an only child so I knew how important it would be for my child who is an only child to be independent. I taught her that she has to play by herself sometimes because mommy has stuff that needs to be done. It was a difficult transition but she has become an independent little girl. I still take time and play with her but she knows that she has to play by herself also. Be patient and he will get it. It does take some time for him to learn.

P.s. My daughter was doing small chores by 18 months to keep her occupied and to make her feel like a big girl.

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ChristophsMama wrote 1 year 19 weeks ago

My son is almost two and he enjoys following me around more than playing by himself, too. However, to keep him busy, I give him a stack or cards to sort, some books to look at, or some other activity he enjoys doing (such as Playdoh) while I'm working on something else nearby. It just takes patience on your part to teach him how to play independently, but I totally understand your frustration! Hang in there. I'm an only child, too, and learned how to play independently when I was very young.

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sebsmom wrote 1 year 6 weeks ago

My daughter is also 18 months and plays by herself for maybe 5 minutes at a time. On a very rate occasion when there is a cardboard box in the house, she will play by herself longer. I learned to accept the fact that she needs constant attention and to take advantage of the two hours she is down for her nap.
When I am busy, she tends to occupy herself by mimicking what I am doing such as when I vacuum or sweep the floor.

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