15 month old needs constant entertainment

[SqidgeBum]

I need some advice. I am the type of mom who goes out every day with my DD, and have done since she was newborn. She is always at softplay or playgroups or at playdates. However, now that I am pregnant and staying at home with the Coronavirus, it has come to my attention that my 15 month old DD is completely incapable of entertaining herself. She has always been quite clingy with me, but the last week it has been hours and hours of crying which happens if I simply get up to make dinner or a cuppa or go to the bathroom. She cannot play by herself. I am going out of my mind hearing the constant moaning and crying.

Has anyone got any tips for how to encourage her to play by herself? Bar leaving her to cry and scream on the floor, or sitting down on the floor with her every minute she is awake and playing with, I have no idea what to do. Help! I cant do weeks and weeks of this while also managing MS!

Sorry, no advice but I know the feeling and I’m surprised there are not more threads like this yet!

It's quite normal at this age. Mine is 2 soon and very touch and go and the limited time I do put the TV on even is not that interested (The Wiggles is the only thing she will pay much attention to) . I've found that engaging in something with her then setting her a task can often help (eg, get the playdoh out, make a few shapes with her, help her roll it out etc and then ask her to make lots of shapes for me and then edge away) I wouldn't be worried though. It's really normal at this age. She should want your engagement. Remember it's vital at this age and they'll only learn good social skills from that level of play with their caregiver. We are all just going to have to make do ITO the lockdowns which are looming. I'm like you and dreading it as I take her out every day. I'm personally using this time to get a couple more things for the garden delivered and a few more books etc so that we are as prepared as possible. x

Do you have an blocks, toy cars, dolls, puzzles, musical instruments? Water? Dry beans? Sand? Pots and pans? All of these things can be played with. Read to her. Turn on music and dance. Let her "help1' you do easy chores.

They only thing I suggest is to ask her to help you. When you go to toilet ask her to sit on the potty (even though you arent toilet training), or ask her to look after something while you nip away for a few minutes. Good luck. It's not easy xx

Ye unfortunately I have tried all those things. She doesnt walk yet so she is limited in what she can do but she has no interest in helping me, she has more different types of toys and sensory activities than I can count, she loves books but only if I read with her, she likes the wiggles too but only if I am sitting with her, and she just spends all of the rest of her time at my feet crying to be picked up. Sometimes she is happy playing by herself if I sit on the floor near her, but she minute I get up she ends up in hysterics. Nothing I say to her helps. I dont think she can even hear me through her screaming. People who have witnessed it have said she sounds like something is physically hurting her (even though we are all very clear that it's not). I think all I can hope for is she grows out of it, but I am being tougher and starting to just completely ignore her more when she does it. She just has to learn I cannot sit with her all day. It's going to be a tough few weeks.

That sounds really hard going. When I shower I take my son in with me and he is happy to sit there. When I cook my son sits in the sink with the tap on. I hope you find something that works. Definately sounds like your baby needs assessed by peads.

Assessed by paeds? No. She has learned that she will always be entertained and never bored and that has been something I have done. I know this is as a result of the way I have done things. She now has to relearn that she cannot always be entertained and that's going to be a hard thing to learn. She is just learning to be a human (although she is a very stubborn human, but she gets that from me). She doesnt need a label from paeds.

I'm sorry if I offended. I have 3 children and I stupidly assumed that there were issues beyond behavioural (probably because my son is non verbal and we have so many appts at the moment). I hope you can figure things out and hopefully it's just a phase. My eldest are 12 and 13 so I cant really remember that far back. I'm so sorry I cant offer any advice