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Behaviour/development

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

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Original poster

How long does your 18mth old play on their own?

13 replies

ljhooray · 03/09/2008 12:11

Hi there,

Just wondering from others experience how long their little ones play by themselves. My dd is very sociable and active (she also spends 2 days a week at nursery and has done since she was 6 mths). What this translates to at home is she likes others to be involved in her play and won't spend very long playing on her own.

Should I be encouraging more play on her own (and if so how) or is this quite typical of this age?

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TrinityRhino · 03/09/2008 12:11

gecko will sometimes play on her own for a good 10 mins which I think is good

Original poster

ljhooray · 03/09/2008 12:17

interesting, as my bf's dd will play for anything up to half an hour with very few prompts for help or interaction. Kinda made me think my dd had an unusually short attention span!

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HonoriaGlossop · 03/09/2008 12:53

I think this is one of those issues where there's a huge range of normal! My ds at this age just couldn't play alone for long at all...one or two minutes IIRC.

Pinkjenny · 03/09/2008 12:56

Dd is 16mo, and will play on her own for, ooh, about twenty seconds.

Lionstar · 03/09/2008 12:58

My 18 month DD requires a full approving audience at all times. She has been known to switch the TV off to gain her full deserved attention. She also goes to nursery 3 days a week and I do think that it has some effect on her requirement for entertainment, which can be very draining when it's just the two of us.

Pinkjenny · 03/09/2008 12:59

LOL Lionstar - dd turns the TV off as well, or lines all her teddies/dolls up in front of the screen so we can't see it anyway.

nelix2000 · 03/09/2008 13:20

My DS plays on his own a lot, but I interact a lot of the time, but I am doing a degree and if DP is at work and I need to have an essay done on time and have no choice (this scenario is not often) but DS will play happily in the same room as me for up to 2 hours with me just chatting to him sometimes as i write, he seems happy just knowing I am there...obviosly if he "needs" to show me two teddies kissing I give the appropriate "wow thats clever" response then get back to my essay....
In saying that I started my degree when he was 5 months old so he is used to seeing me study, its normal to him to amuse himself. Hence he is going to start seeing a childminder as I feel he is too indipendant for his age and NEEDS interaction lol!...I think he needs other kids to be around right now he is at that age (19 months).

Original poster

ljhooray · 03/09/2008 13:27

Lionstar - my dd will go on the swing at her nana and grandad's without a full audience whooping and applauding in delight!

Think Nelix2000 has a point about what they are used to and I love spending my time playing with her although as said already, it can be pretty draining and I suppose I want to encourage her to be able to enjoy her own company. Perhaps I'm worrying about this a bit too soon?

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ceebee74 · 03/09/2008 13:28

When DS was 18 months, he demanded one of us to play with him pretty much constantly - 6 months later and nothing has changed He may find something that captures his attention for 10 minutes maybe (this usually happens when it is time for bath/bed when he suddenly becomes a quiet little boy happy to play by himself for hours ) but normally it is constant demands for reading books, doing jigsaws.....

Agree that he has been in nursery for 18 months now and is a very sociable child that needs other company - interesting when other children are around, he is not interested in me or DH at all.

I am currently doing the only decent thing I can do under the circumstances - provide a little brother for him to play with

PerkinWarbeck · 03/09/2008 13:29

DD (17mo) plays alone with toys for at least 17 or 18 seconds.

however, leave her in a room with a jar of sudocreme and dark coloured rug, and she will entertain herself for ages .

Pinkjenny · 03/09/2008 13:31

ROFL Perkin - they're all the same - what is it with the blimmin Sudocrem!!
CeeBee - dd was exactly like this in the days when we used to bring her downstairs after her bath. Suddenly turned into the quietest child in the world.

Original poster

ljhooray · 03/09/2008 13:33

lol perkinwarbeck, you know the sudocrem has been breached when you realise ' hang on, its been rather quiet in there for at least 30 seconds!'

OP posts:

Acinonyx · 03/09/2008 15:36

Has always managed 15 mins or so while in the shower but never any other time. Maybe 5 mins on the odd day.

I'm doing a PhD and somewhat nelix - it has never been possible to work at all with dd awake at home. I did try. She is outraged by my looking at pieces of paper and demands to play with them.

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