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Parenting

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Original poster

How do you get a 2yo to occupy herself independently without resorting to TV?

17 replies

franch · 08/03/2006 21:47

With a baby in the house who's increasingly making her own demands, I'm finding I have to spend a lot of my time at home just doing chores, attending to DD2's needs etc. TV is always the easy option and I feel awful about the amount of time DD1 (25m) seems to spend sitting alone in front of it.

I do try to get her to get her paper and crayons out or whatever, but her concentration span is short and anything more than that always seems to require my supervision/participation - while I'm usually happy to pause in whatever I'm doing to help out, sometimes I just can't offer the input she needs (e.g. when breastfeeding/settling DD2 for her nap/making essential phonecalls regarding our forthcoming house move). I also try to involve her in whatever I'm doing when possible - washing up, changing DD2's nappy etc. But today for example, I was rushing to get stuff done so we could get out of the house for an appointment, got the play-dough out when she asked for it, and then regretted it when she got all frustrated at being unable to roll it flat or use the shape cutters on her own. I even found myself telling her to go and switch the TV on when I was putting DD2 in her cot and DD1 kept coming running in and asking me to look at what she'd made :(

Just wondering if there are things I might not have thought of. People must have managed before CBeebies!?

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QE2 · 08/03/2006 21:54

I think if tv or a suitable dvd is used for short periods to get you through times when you are otherwise very busy (ie organising moving and dealing with a newborn) it is not something to worry too much over tbh.

The time will come when you have established a routine with your newborn andthen you can spend more time with your older dd doing playdough etc. The house moving is a very stressful time anyway and dvd's are a lifesaver at times like this!

Having said that, I cut up different coloured shapes and a give him a glue stick and let him stick them all over a piece of paper - that keeps him occupied for quite a while. How about snap cards or a matching pairs game? Lift out puzzles? Stringing cotton reels on a pice of string? Fuzzy felts?

I'm sure others will have much better suggestions than me.

QE2 · 08/03/2006 21:56

Oooops, didn't preview - cutting up shapes etc for ds3, that is!

eastendgirl · 08/03/2006 22:22

My 2 year old spends ages listening to audio tapes - at last I can read the newspaper in peace for 30 minutes without interruption!!! You can borrow them from the library!

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NotQuiteCockney · 08/03/2006 22:26

The only tip I have, is make the 2-year-old be a second kid. My second DS (17 months) is much better at amusing himself than my first DS (4.5!). Sorry.

robin3 · 09/03/2006 12:00

DS plays endlessly with the Playmobil stuff. He has the stables, ambulance and a car. Also his wooden trainset. He seems to love all the bits and is really getting in to enacting stories. I know it's not meant to be suitable until 3 but DS never puts bits in his mouth and its the doors and hats/saddles etc that occupies him. He'll play for an hour sometimes only coming over for help with the fiddly bits. Only you'll know if DD is likely to find this entertaining but there are loads of excellent sets and they last for years.

Wordsmith · 09/03/2006 12:05

I wish my 23 month old would watch TV for half an hour, but he's not at all interested. His older brother was glued to Teletubbies at that age.

He does 'amuse himself', but it usually involves taking all the files out of my filing cabinet, or investigating the contents of my handbag.

He does like taking things apart and putting them back together again though, so duplo etc can be useful. And he likes flicking through the pages of books.

One of his favoourite activities is banging saucepan lids on the floor!

Enid · 09/03/2006 12:07

I dont think you can really.

dd2 has never really watched telly and didnt at all at 2, but she did play happily with her dollies and teasets and things for a little while. I always found it useful to set up something in the room I was in so I could stick my oar in when required while also getting on with whatever needed doing.

Enid · 09/03/2006 12:07

lol wordsmith

I used to try and TRAIN dd2 to watch telly

acnebride · 09/03/2006 12:10

no help at all as i only have the 2 year old, but he will amuse himself for quite a bit (now) with his wooden train set, or with his 'farm' (only animals, with bricks to make 'fields' with). also if I just sit on the floor with him and chat to him/comment on what he is doing, i don't actually have to do anything - if you had the nappies to hand, perhaps feeding and nappy changes could be done in this way?

other chores no idea!

lockets · 09/03/2006 12:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

frogs · 09/03/2006 12:17

I learnt what I was doing wrong when dd1 started nursery aged 18 months, and have tried to organise the toys on the nursery/playgroup model ever since.

Instead of having toys lying around permanently available, I started keeping all toys in cupboards, and bringing out a modest selection every morning, eg. Duplo, some puzzles and an electronic musicy thing. Or bricks, fuzzy felt and play food. You get the picture. Then at lunchtime you tidy it all away, and after their nap you get out a different set of stuff. The same principle with books: instead of them having free access to a massive basket, you put the basket away and get out half a dozen books at a time.

It also helps to take certain things right out of circulation for a few weeks before reintroducing them. Organising temporary toy swaps with other families is good too.

Putting out a few things at a time, ideally before the child comes into the room, means that you're setting the agenda rather than the toddler, and prevents them becoming overwhelmed by the choice and variety. Storing toys away from view and away from immediate access really helps to avoid the scenario where they start treating the toys as part of the furniture without ever really playing with them.

Worked for us, anyway (a bit). Failing that, as others have suggested, borrow some older children...

acnebride · 09/03/2006 12:24

sorry franch i feel annoying posting on this thread when i don't know anything about the situation but have just read \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=67&threadid=153371&stamp=060309121811\this thread about 2 yr old and newborn} HTH

Nightynight · 09/03/2006 12:55

Leave a cupboard full of breakable things open

Wills · 09/03/2006 12:59

Leave the paints out? dd2 ALWAYS occupies herself beautifully when she's up to no good. More seriously though my dd2 (2 years 6 months) adores using the computer. She lvoes helping with the chores (unlike her older sister!). I also let her know that sometimes if she waits she can have my undivided attention - she is struggling with this one but also learning.

Dolls are a big one. She looses herself in imaginative play with her dollies.

What about putting music on and getting her to dance to it.

Clary · 09/03/2006 13:05

Franch I have found that gluing and sticking will absorb a 2yo well, agree re playmobil but you need to know if she will mouth the tiny bits (DS2 (2yo) loves playmobil and never puts it in his mouth).
Other things DS2 likes: jigsaws (a 2yo can often do a 6-10 piece one), sorting things (shapes, colours etc), dress up and pretend play, garage with cars. It is easier if they are a 2nd or 3rd child tho, that’s not much help is it really!

lunavix · 09/03/2006 13:20

My ds (23 months) is a total tv addict. He will sit and watch from 8 - 6 given half a chance.

So I know it's all too easy to let him watch it while doing stuff (instead of chatting to me during lunch he was watching balamory as I was washing up) and I always feel guilty. However,

he loves sticking stuff. Yet to find the perfect glue (he's a bit too young for pva) and he can't quite understand pritstick so it is really for supervision, he loves colouring but is best occupied with PENS he thinks crayons are too babyish! If this is unsupervised he'll colour for ages, but he will colour his hands and tshirt in too...

He also LOVES magic maize, and that he can go on his own! It says it's from 4 years which is a load of rubbish... I get him a wet sponge and some paper and he will stick them down... granted he licks a few but he soon tires of it lol!

There's a musical dora the explorer book that's his favourite at the moment, and one or two happyland bits keep his attention too. Not the whole thing though (the same principal as frogs said, too much and they play with nothing)

to be honest, the best thing is to pack lots of toys away, and then get one out when you need 5 minutes to yourself. If ds gets something new, or something he hasn't seen for ages, he'll sit down and fiddle with it for quite a while... the more bits the better!

Or alternatively start childminding! Older kids occupy him beautifully!

fennel · 09/03/2006 13:28

some just don't. my dd2 is now 4.5 and still really not good at playing by herself. dd1 (5) and dd3 (22 months) play by themselves and always have but dd2 doesn't even like watching tv without company to chat to about it.

what she does like is joining in the household chores, have you tried this? dd2 washes windows and mops floors, etc.

if i had another like dd2 i'd just send her to nursery full time. some children are just over social really.

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