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How to encourage toddler to play independently

8 replies

Dystrophin345 · 22/08/2019 10:54

My 2 year old (turned two in July) won’t play independently. From the moment he wakes up, he follows me around. He is will play with his cars but only for a limited period and wants me involved. However, he doesn’t want me to play but just wants me there. For example, he would want to me to go and find his ball but wouldn’t want to play catch or roll the ball to me. I’m not sure what I’ve done wrong as I see children playing happily with their toys. He will too but only for a short while before coming to me and either wants to be held or would take my hand and pull to me to do something he wants or give him something he’s looking for. I’ve been working 2 days a week since he was a year and 3 months.

He’s got many toys and even if I sit with him to play (for example colour sorting) he would sit for a short while before throwing them around as he gets bored. The only things he likes are things that spin (he doesn’t sit and watch them spin) but just likes them generally like his scooter, bike, cars m, trolley or pushchair. If I’m sitting down somewhere, he would bring them next to me and just sit there.

Have I done something wrong. How can I encourage him to play independently?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/08/2019 21:09

How does he play with other children around?

Dystrophin345 · 22/08/2019 22:15

He copies other children or if they run around he runs around. And usually they fight over the same toy. However, he won’t play catch with them (he would cry after the ball saying it’s mine) and doesn’t like it if anyone pushes his bike if he’s sitting on it. He also doesn’t like sharing be it his cars or the slide in the park (again shouts mine) although he has recently started to understand turn taking

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Dystrophin345 · 22/08/2019 22:16

Forgot to add he doesn’t have any siblings and doesn’t go to Nursery yet.

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june2007 · 22/08/2019 22:28

Ok he is only two and if he is an only child he han't had to share. Which is tough at two any way. Get down and roll thre ball. And encourage him to roll back to you, repeat often. TRy messy play, playdough cornflour, cereal with animals or cars. Children at that age get barred very easily. How about kitchen stuff and babes and prams? Also does he go to any grops like parent and tots or playgroup?

Dystrophin345 · 22/08/2019 22:32

He used to love kitchen stuff so I got him some until he got bored of it. He used to stir raw pasta in them (he loves pasta lol). I was really worried so got him a baby and he used to feed it and put it to bed. Every time he sees it he kisses it but the other day he got bored of it and started hitting it on the floor Confused. He goes to toddler groups although we haven’t been recently as we went away for 3 weeks. Even there he would play with the other things for a few minutes but would spend most of his time on the ride on toys.

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JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/08/2019 22:44

It does sound pretty normal, he's still very little.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/08/2019 22:57

There's a "One Child Family" section on MN. It might be worth checking on there if anyone thinks there's anything to worry about.

I think if your M-Chat hasn't said there is a risk of autism it's probably unlikely though.

Dystrophin345 · 22/08/2019 23:01

How do I move this or do I just post again?

Did the Mchat a while ago and came back as no risk

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