How much time do you spend playing with your toddler each day?

[Marsha101]

Giving them your undivided attention?

And how much tv do they watch?

Just wondering where we are compared to others?!

We play a lot but it's not always undisturbed and sometimes when I do have to get something done I'm guilty of putting the TV on for 20. I do chat to him about what he is watching while I do this though!

Anyone?!

DS is 22 months and is really really good at entertaining himself. I'd say I played with him a minimal amount. He brings his toys into the living room and plays very happily. I chat to him and encourage him but I'm rarely down on the floor next to him joining it. Also have an 8 week old.

We take him out a lot to the park, beach, toddler groups, friends houses so he's actually not at home a great deal.

TV is 20 minutes a day, after dinner and before bed, a pre-recorded episode of a cbeebies tv show he likes.

My DS is 20 months, and on the days I am home with him I play with him on and off all day. Sometimes he is happy pottering around doing his own thing, and sometimes he wants me to join in, so I do, unless I am unavoidably not able to (eg cooking, or in the loo!). I also spend a few minutes, a few times, each day playing with something specific with him such as jigsaw puzzles, train track, shape sorters etc. He doesn't watch any TV.

I don't think you can easily compare with others, as so much of this is dependant on personality. Some children will play on their own, and others won't for example. Also, as I work 3 days a week, I feel that I need to spend my days with him giving him my attention, as he doesn't have it (from me) on nursery days. And I have a very low standard when it comes to housework!

DD (27 months) started this morning with school run and then watching me clean the kitchen. Then out to a toddler group where she generally played/fought with the other toddlers whilst I chatted to the mums and ate cake. Then school run and lunch with her brother. She played with her brother outside in the garden after that but I didn't interact with them much as they seemed quite happy on their own. After her brother went back to school I played outside with her for a bit, did a jigsaw puzzle with her and read her some stories (maybe 30 minutes in total). Tried to persuade her to have a nap but it turned into a potty training session some of which you might count as one to one attention! Then had a snack together and showed her some facebook photos of our holiday last week. Then school run again and after that she had the tough job of competing with her brother for attention until bedtime. So all in all that is 30 minutes one to one time properly "playing" with just the two of us. She doesn't really watch TV - if I have to get something done, I would prefer her to watch/participate/hang off my leg in an irritating manner whilst I do it. We spend a lot of time together and it feels unnatural to spend the entire time playing/talking to her. It is quite rare for anybody in the family to get my undivided attention for very long - there is always somebody else or something else to thing about - but I think that is pretty normal.