Not ready for toddlerhood

[velvet]

Hi there,

My little one is almost 13 months and I am realizing just now that he is no longer a baby.  The biggest surprise is that he no longer wants to take two naps.  He also gets into everything!  And he points at everything and tries to talk.  So, my question is what do you all do with your young toddlers at this age?  How do you fill a day by keeping them busy and still managing some time for you to have "YOU" time?

Could I have some play ideas?

[sa]

oh .. i'd like to hear some ideas too.

DS just turn 1, although he still has 2 naps a day. i already feel exhasted being with him all day as he has so much energy.

if i am near him, he is ok to play his toys ..etc.
if i start do something else, he wants to know what i am doing.

so i do housework together with him.
e.g. loading the washing machine which he loves to help putting the clothes in the washing machine.
e.g. show him how to put things back to the toy box.

these are fun for him right now ... not sure about it in a few months time? 

[Nikki~Nathanamp;Danielle]

My ds didn't switch to one nap until 16mths, but we generally tried to get out of the house once a day - down to the park, the mall, playdates or playgroups, gym class.  Then he'd just potter around with me while I did housework as the pp suggested. 

[GG]

DS is 11 mo but definitely a toddler!     He still takes 2 naps/day, though the amount varies.  I give him full run of the dining room and hallway (they are the only carpeted rooms in the house).  He considers it a treat to be able to toddle into the living room or some other room.  So I basically let him play by himself with whatever is available in the DR.  Sometimes he is clingy and wants me to be with him, so if I'm working on something that's 'portable', I'll just do it in the DR.  Otherwise, I play with him for a little while and then try to sneak away again.

[happy mommy]

Have another one!!!!!!  Seriously, my 14 month old needs much less entertainment from me then my first child did back when he was an only child!!!

[Samanthas mum]

oh .. i'd like to hear some ideas too.

DS just turn 1, although he still has 2 naps a day. i already feel exhasted being with him all day as he has so much energy.

if i am near him, he is ok to play his toys ..etc.
if i start do something else, he wants to know what i am doing.

so i do housework together with him.
e.g. loading the washing machine which he loves to help putting the clothes in the washing machine.
e.g. show him how to put things back to the toy box.

these are fun for him right now ... not sure about it in a few months time? 

I could have written your post word for word!!

I do find it frustrating sometimes that my dd won't continue to play on her own whilst I do something else. Even if I lay some toys out on the kitchen floor for her if I potter around doing bits and bobs she is not happy and wants picking up to see what I am doing. I keep telling myself that she is just being curious and wants to see what mummy is doing but it can make life hard work.

I have tried to follow Tracy's independent play principles but it seems to have gone to pot at the moment. I have in fact just joined a local tumble tots group in the hope that as it will be something different dd will love it. In addition she is very active and loves clambering all over the place so hopefully tumble tots will excite her and tire her out all at the same time 

[velvet]

I wonder if its just another stage they're going through at this age.  Before, my lo would play wonderfully on his own and now I have to be in the same room too.  I think joining a play group will really help.  I'm going to try looking up some activities for him that I can make or he can do as sometimes, I think he is just bored or house stir crazy.  I already have taken out "Toddler Play" by Wendy Masi from the library.  It's a book by the gymboree people.  Hopefully this will help.

[GG]

Have another one!!!!!!  Seriously, my 14 month old needs much less entertainment from me then my first child did back when he was an only child!!!

I agree (depending on the child, of course)!  I think my ds would love to have a playmate, someone he's used to playing with.  Somtimes he wants me to play with him now and complains if I'm off doing my own thing.  Every now and then, if it's just a weak whine, I'll 'ignore' him and he'll toddle off to play on his own but only for a short while.  When he's playing on his own, I sit on the side and marvel at him. 

He'll have so much fun with his little brother or sister but he has to wait another 1.5 years to be able to play with him/her.  I'm still working on it!!!   

[happy mommy]

GG, you'll be amazed at how soon your kids will start to interact with each other!  If they are anything like mine, they will be "playing" together long before #2 is really PLAYING!

[GG]

GG, you'll be amazed at how soon your kids will start to interact with each other!  If they are anything like mine, they will be "playing" together long before #2 is really PLAYING!

Looking forward to it!!!      

[tracy4499]

It’s hard to get real me time in.  There are a couple of things that I do to help keep me sane.  Although I take my dd with me, we go to the mall a lot just for a change of scenery, and to walk around and window shop.  I can get a cup of coffee and as long as I’m moving, my dd is content in the stroller, plus it’s good exercise for me.  Our mall has a little play place so I let her out to interact with the other kids and we both are much happier. 
On desperate days I will let her watch a “Baby Einstein” video.  They are education and I don’t feel like a bad mother letting her watch them.   It’s also cute to hear her laugh at certain points.   
We have several children in the neighborhood, I pay a couple of them (minimal amounts) to come over after school and interact with my dd.  These are always supervised visits as the kids are 8-9 years old, but it gives me a chance to get dinner ready or to sit and read a book or check my e-mails.
You can also join a gym that offers day care.  My gym has days where you can leave your children for a couple of hours to get some respite and they also offer date night so you can go out with your husband.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

[velvet]

Thanks for the ideas.  It is just hard as he is clingy - wants to be where I am all the time.  But we are playing and trying new things.  I agree about getting out though and interacting with other little ones.

[GG]

We have several children in the neighborhood, I pay a couple of them (minimal amounts) to come over after school and interact with my dd.  These are always supervised visits as the kids are 8-9 years old, but it gives me a chance to get dinner ready or to sit and read a book or check my e-mails.

Tracy, this is a great idea!  I never thought about it but I think I will definitely keep it in mind once I have the other little one.