Attention seeking ... playing etc

[Balakin]

Hopefully this is a familiar scenario but would appreciate some advice. My 12 month old is a lovely, fundamentally happy boy, lots of laughing and smiles, eats and sleeps well. The issue is playing, here are my concerns:

• Almost no interest in toys, only in phones, computers, printers, other generally 'non-toys'.
• Almost complete inability to play alone for more than a minute without moaning / shouting for attention. (Even with the phone or whatever!!)
• When played with - eg building towers, showing pull-toys, whatever, v limited attention span before the moaning noise is back.
• If left alone, will simply crawl away from toys and come and climb up legs.

However, if in buggy, bath, carseat, will be quite happy to play for ages with a small toy. Also likes to play with books - although reading them to him ie turning the pages in turn does not work too well.

He has plenty of variety in his day, although during the week it does circle around a pretty similar routine. Goes to playground and for walks, shops etc a lot.

I don't know if this is a completely normal phase, a sign of being spoiled or some other problem. I know his cousin has always seemed much more chilled and engaged in his toys.

thanks for any insights ...

Hmmm, sounds normal to me..How does he relate to you and your partner? He is too young to 'play' with other children, and the attention span of a child, esp one of only 12 months is so minute as to be invisible. Children DONT play quietly with their bricks while you get dinner on. what a myth.. Mine is 15 months, and he isnt too impressed with toys either, esp the more plasticcy ones which makes noises and basically do very little except make noises. He likes the tins and saucepans in the cupboards, LOVES the hoover, and the phone, and chasing his big brother around. Your baby sounds perfectly normal in that regard, and in the getting bored and wanting attention thing too. Perfectly normal. Chill.

Sounds normal to me. Except the playing happily in buggy bit, my ds would never have done that! He's still a baby, and still needs lots of attention. Ds was always more interested in real things than toys. I think this s normal too. I think you've a while to wait yet before he'll play by himself for any length of time, i can't remember when ds started but it wasn't til around 18-24 months. Also they do go through a clingy phase around 12months. Hth.

Sounds normal to me. My son is 2 and now has a much greater interest in his toys, and our belongings are now (relatively!) safe again.
You could maybe try some different toys? Toy phones were very popular with my son. Actually, we gave him an old mobile and it was his best friend for a long time!

All completely normal. I don't know a single 1 yr old who can 'play alone'. Completely normal for him to be more interested in gadgets, too. They can't distinguish between what's a toy and what's not at this age. All the rest sounds normal, too. Hope that puts your mind at rest!

Yipee what a relief. I guess he just went through a phase aged 6-10 months where he was totally happy to wave his arms and play with anything for ages. The time this stopped was when he wanted to get moving and hasn't given up since! He relates really well to us and his nanny (I am working quite a lot). You're right, he has been clingy recently, esp over Christmas when we were out of our normal environment.

He does show real joy whenever he encounters another small child (but obv doesn't play 'with' them as such). I tried giving him my old phone, but he quickly cottoned on it was fobbing him off and only wants mine. I am learning that things like pots and pans and other objects he doesn't see often are a draw. Even new toys (piles of them at Christmas) seem only to be interesting for about a day.

So we'll just keep going the way we are and enjoy ourselves, seems that's the most impt thing ...!

Thank you all very much x