How much do you play with your baby?

[Tftpoo]

I have an 8 month old DD. She is a happy little soul and spends most of her time at home pottering around on the floor with a box of toys or bits and bobs from the kitchen. I mostly just sit near her or get on with jobs around her rather than actively playing with her. We go out to baby and toddler groups a couple of times a week, we go swimming once a week and go to a music group once a week. I'm a bit worried that I don't interact with her enough - she's so content doing her own thing that I mostly leave her to it. Just wondered how much others play with their babies?

Do you chat to her while you're doing things in the kitchen? Do you read to her? Sing to her? Play little tricks on her to make her laugh?

It's great for her to spend time on her own, exploring things, but she will need lots of interaction with you - it doesn't have to involve you going out of the house.

Sounds about right to me - some babies/children need more/less interaction than others. I think at 8 months there is such regular feeding / dressing / changing that it's not like she'll be going hours without any adult input.
Enjoy having an easy baby and don't overthink it!

I'm the same as you OP. My DD likes to play with her toys whilst I'm near her. I think it's a positive thing as she doesn't need me to constantly entertain her or hold her hand. She gets plenty of 1-2-1 time with me, whether at groups, on our walks or all the other times I'm giving her 100% attention (for example it takes 1hr for lunch usually and we spend most of that 'chatting'). I think you are doing just fine!

Thanks for the reassurance. We do 'chat' and sing a lot at nappy changing times, meal times, out in the pram, when I'm cooking etc. She loves a good bit of peekaboo and a few nursery rhymes too so hopefully I'm getting it about right. She's not my first but very different to my toddler twins and I find myself questioning my parenting more with a singleton. I feel more pressure to 'get it right' with her whereas when the DTs were babies it was just about getting through the day!