AIBU driving me nuts she just won't play!!!!!!

[jollybobs89]

Got a 2.5 year old daughter and a 6 month old!

My daughter is driving me absolutely mental today I cannot get anything done she has loads of toys but just seems to wander round the house following me round !! Just having a rant !!

No matter what toys unless I'm playing with her she won't play arghhhhhhhhh

Some children are like that. Try mummy will play with you for ten minutes and then mummy has to do mummy jobs for ten minutes whilst you keep playing.

Can you get her involved with what you're doing? Give her some washing to put into the machine before you switch it on, or give her a (dry) sponge or a duster to help you with the cleaning? Apparently I used to love that when I was young. Pity I don't love cleaning as much now, really!

DS1 was like that (MIL says his dad was the same too).

The only thing I found that held his attention for long enough for me to do things was water - a bowl of water and various things to pour around, or colour change toys and a bowl of hot/ice water.

Then the trouble became keeping his younger brother away when he desperately wanted to play with the water too, but would just spill it everywhere and ruin the game for DS1 :S

My 22 month old is like this. If she does 15 mins if playing on her own in a day I am lucky.

I just involve her in everything. She helps me load the washing machine, the dryer, she puts things in the bin for me, we 'tidy up', she has a toy Hoover for when I hoover, she fetches whatever I ask her for, she even 'helps' with dinner (I let her chop mushrooms or stir). I bought her a learning tower for the kitchen. Best buy ever.

Some kids just dont entertain themselves. It's an absolute pain and takes a lot of patience, but sometimes you just have to accept it's the way they are so make the best of it.

Keep the next empty polish can. That and a clean duster. She can spray and polish to her little hearts content. Did it with all of mine!! Ds 25 is very house proud and I take full credit!!

Will she do jobs with you? Ds1 was never much of a play-er, and he liked being with me - plus side was that he'd happily sort washing, scrub potatoes, wash (unnecessarily) cutlery in a bowl standing on a learning tower in the kitchen etc. He used to like 'cleaning' the babies with a cotton wool ball when I was giving them their bath, he was very careful and very cute.

DD in the other hand was great at playing but also often wanted me to join in, I'd take a LOT of slowly folding cloths over ever having to be 'naughty baby truck' for another hour of my life

Have you seen the "five minute mum" on insta and her books? Maybe helpful.

DDs are the same! It annoys me that I put TV on sometimes but they just keep following me to the kitchen regardless!

About the toys, try toy rotation. It's like a surprise everyday! I have made 5 bags of their toys and in the morning one bag comes downstairs. They always have their books and a small selection of toys (ball, small piano, babies, something else can't remember) in the living room. The bag is extra and gets tidied and put away before dinner.

What is it that you are trying to get done? If its preparing meals, which is necessary, can you put something on the TV for 10 mins whilst you do it? Otherwise, everything else can wait until the evening time can't it? You dont need to clean the house etc during the day whilst you are with your kids, that can be done during the weekend maybe when you have your partner there.

My son was like this until after he turned 2 (during lockdown). Up til then he needed constant entertainment. I played with him as much as poss and then involved him in the stuff I needed to do. It was exhausting but in the plus side I think it helped his language development. Things improved around his second birthday a few months ago and he’ll now play for 15mins ish at a time by himself.