Moms of 5-6yos

MandyMilller · May 2013

Does your child play well independently? How do you encourage independent play?

It's probably my own fault (my good intentions may have spoiled her), but Lanna is terrible at entertaining herself! Wes does 10xs better at it than she does and he's 2. I swear, the older she gets the worse she is. She has so many toys, and she plays with nothing unless I'm playing with her (or she has friends over). It's going to be a long summer with her being out of school if she can't find something to do!!

AmandaJLewis · May 2013

I find making a suggestion goes a long way to get EJ occupied in something. Like "color me a picture of....." or "why don't you play with your legos". Or I start suggesting she clean up. That always seems to make her find something else to do. But I feel your pain. Until somewhat recently EJ was the same as Lanna. But lately I have noticed she will be watching her after school show and just pull out a drawer from her toy shelf thing and set down and play with its contents.

Luckystar2 · May 2013

Dd is just turning 5 (eek!). Honestly I have to just force her to play independently at times. She is getting better in the last year though. She is an only child so I struggle with feeling guilty she doesn't have a sibling to play with and the desire to have her play independently.

I usually make her play on her own after work so I can make dinner. Somedays are better than others. When the weather is nice she will play in her play houses on the deck on her own and it's great! But inside she tends to want to hover near me and beg me to play.

dd is very social and wants to play with others...be it kids or adults. But being an only child I feel like I have to make her have some independent play so she knows she can't always have our undivided attention.

waltsgirl102503 · May 2013

Noah is the same way (and he's almost 8!). I think partly it's because he's the first born, so there was always someone to do something with him the first 4.5 years of his life! (Brody on the other hand prefers to play alone - a lot of the time, when Noah asks him to play, he tells him NO!) Like Amanda, I give him suggestions (play with this, or do that). I've also started giving him more "chores" to do if he's telling me he's bored/has nothing to do. If he cant' find anything to do with the one million and one toys that we have in our house, then I can find PLENTY for him to do. After the chore is completed, he then usually can find something else that he wants to do.

amyjoy18 · May 2013

DD is only 4, but this is something we've been working on as well. I usually offer her a suggestion accompanied with a story line. Like:

I think your Barbie dolls want to have a pet parade (and I'll watch it later)

Twilight Sparkle told me that AppleJack is stuck in a tree. You better go help.

I hear Sally crying. I think she's sick and needs a doctor

Or I ask her to show Nolan how to do something, like play with the little people amusement park, or build a zoo with Legos.

Once she starts playing she gets wrapped up in it.

lala5507 · May 2013

My dd is younger (4) but I agree with others. I think it has a lot to do with being first born. I really have to force it some times. Yet my youngest can play by herself for long stretches.

Moms of 5-6yos

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