Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

2.5 year old won't do anything alone!

1 reply

LovelyWeatherForDucks · 11/05/2015 20:07

Getting rather frustrated with 2.5 year olds DS! For context, I am 30 weeks pregnant and getting to the large and uncomfy stage!

He won't spend any time playing alone, or even let me out of his sight. I took him to a toddler group this morning, all the other mums were sitting chatting and I was the one trailing around after DS. Came home, he helped me make lunch, then wanted to play with his sand / water etc on the patio and wouldn't let me tidy up from lunch / put some washing on etc without whinging / near tantrum. I'm happy to (and do) spend a good amount of time playing, but constantly trailing around after him is (a) boring and (b) not realistic with a newborn soon and (c) means I get no housework/jobs done at all. Even going to the loo / grabbing something from another room is met with 'nooooo...DS come too!'

Any ideas to encourage more independent play? I try joining in then leaving him to it, but his toddler attention span means it's not long before I get 'mummy, COME ON,' and I feel bad saying no all the time! Do I say no and deal with the tantrums? How am I going to manage with this and a newborn?! Panic!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
KW89 · 11/05/2015 22:18

Hi, I have a 20 month old son who is quite clingy to me when we are out, I've just started gradually leaving him to it a bit more at our toddler group (I'm also 28 weeks pregnant, so it's getting increasingly difficult to get down on the floor!) he does wander back to me constantly, but does play without me for a little while now. At home, like you, I spend a lot of time playing with him, I have found that he LOVES to help with the housework though so that's how I get my housework done! He will load the washing machine as I hand items to him, and he will pass me pegs while I hang out the washing, he likes to press the on switch on the hoover, and will follow me around with a duster when I'm dusting! Takes a little longer to get things done, but saves on the whinging that I use to get from him! The only time he really has a moan is when I'm cooking and obviously he can't help for safety reasons! I'm planning on making him my special helper- fetching nappies, bibs etc when baby comes! I'm hoping he will grow out of the clingyness at toddler group, not sure how to tackle that one, but the helping with housework works at home to get things done! :)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page