Moms of 15-18 month olds- We need some help over here!

[zayandme]

Okay, I'm NOT trying to start some debate like the thread entitled "How to encourage independent play" on this same activity forum.

BUT-
We moms over in the "EASY- babies of oct-dec 04" section were wondering how much time a baby that is about 1 year old should be expected to play on his or her own.

PLEASE reply with what YOU have done, what works well, or what YOU wish you would have done differently so we can learn from those with babes a few months older.

We are looking for some POSITIVE encouragement and gentle suggestions!
Thank You!

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

Hmmm, no takers?  :wink:  How long are all the babies on your EASY thread playing by themselves?  Maybe if you all post on here with your specific issues and queries and we'll see if we get some others responding too?  I'm not too sure there is a set amount of time that children "should" play by themselves though.  I personally have let my ds take the lead as needed - if he's wanted more one on one I give it, but leave him when he's happy.  It still goes like that now that he's 2.5, some days I don't do any "play" together time at all, other days he wants me to read to him all day.

I honestly don't recall what my ds was like at 1, so I'm not much help for that age specifically.  He's gone through stages of needing me to play constantly for a few months on end as a toddler but that might have been closer to 18mths since he could talk and all I'd hear was "play" whined from morning till night  :roll: then one day it just stopped.

[evanskimberley]

DD is 14/15mo
She differs from day to day but here's some examples.

She can potter around with me for ages helping me do stuff like the laundry or tidying.
She'll play in her room for up to half and hour on a good day looking at books.
Downstairs with access to the toy box she could happily amuse herself for over two hours as long as i was in the room. If I'm somewhere else she'll come to find me to make sure i have'nt left her!!!
She'll play outside with her toys for over an hour.

I found giving her a bit of attention every now and then made her feel more secure.
changing her toys regularly helps too, not going out and buying new ones but rotating them in her toy box and her bedroom.
If I'm doing jobs i go to her every so often and initiate something, if she wants me she'll respond, sometimes she'd rather be on her own so she won't espind to my game.
having toys that can be played independently and spending some time teaching them how their toys work is a good idea, but also so is giving them time to explore on their own.

hope that helps, but come back with specifics if yo want to!