DS 6 not interested in playing with anything

[wineismyfriend]

I am having problems with my son as he never plays on his own and doesn't even seem to like playing. He is 6 is not interested in playing with anything except his football. He just doesn't seem to know how to play; i get his lego out and he asks me what he should make, but soon looses intested, it's same with playdoh. He has action figures, cars, puzzles.... but nothing captures his interest.

He has always been very relectant to amuse himself but i insist he does (for my sanity) at least some of the time) but he just mopes around waiting for time to pass.

Does anyone else have achild like this - what do you do to encourange play. I feel like i could spend a million pounds on toys and still not find the thing he clicks with.

Thanks

My kids are a bit like this but once they get going, they realise how much fun it is. Unless I coax them to getting something out, they'd rather watch tv .

This weekend though, ds(5) has set up his own huge brio track all on his own and played non-stop with it; telling little stories as he plays and really making good use of everything.

DD (8) likes to wander off and arrange the junk in her bedroom and make dens for the cats and then sneak into my room and watch yet another episode of Sarah Jane Adventures! She loves to play with vet things and polly pockets though and can up there for ages doing set ups with those.

I think kids have so much, it makes them end up playing with nothing. why don't you take some of his stuff into storage and stay with him a while while he does an activity and then he might get into it and you won't have to stay all the time.

thanks lucie, but he really doesn't have tons of stuff, just the usual. We get so fed up with him not playing with anything he gets for his birthday or xmas we don't get him anything else during the year.
DS2 is happily playing at the minute (and has been for the last 45mins) with happyland things but DS1 has NEVER played like this. you say your son maks up conversations etc..DS1 just doesn't seem to have it in him. He likes board games but has to involve other people and that is part of ou problem!

His attention span for anything other than playing or watching football, playing on the wii or his leapster is about 5 mins.

I would just let him play with what he wants then; perhaps he's just not a child who enjoys the usual types of toys.

Focus on what he does enjoy, like his football etc. What's the age gap between DCs?

Does he like to make/build things/ Could he help out in the garden/make a birdbox/have a little area for himself to plant in etc.

Some children much prefer people to play with than toys. My dd is a bit like that. Have you thought of just inviting a friend over for him. Or focus on activity like bikeriding, playground outing. I know it's frustrating but you may just have a "sociable" child. Dd never liked doing anything if there wasn't a person involved to interact with her. For example she hates Barbies. {At that age, I loved them] But give her a friend who likes them, and all the Barbies come out and have long elaborate conversations with each other...Ditto playmobil, ponies, colouring, dressing up.

thanks swanriver, you are so right, he is sociable and much prefers to be with otheers (as do I!!) so i need to embrase that and use it to my advantage rather than thinking he is 'wrong' because he doesn't conform. I need to encourage him to have friends round to play more.

it is exhausting and frustrating though as without that friend being there to play with he is very demanding. he and DS2 occasionally play well together but DS2 is only 2.9 so it usually ends in tears.