venus89
08-09-2010, 12:22 PM
with children who will not play independently?
I have two children I mind - both nearly 4 -who don't play independently at all, nor play very much with the other children. Each will follow me if I leave the room, stand in the kitchen while I prepare the lunches etc. I provide a variety of resources for them to play with, which they'll happily do if I'm in the room with them, but they just seem to want to be with me all the time. Up till now this hasn't been too big a problem - I'm happy to chat with them whilst I prepare lunch, or get the fridge magnets out for them to play with. But the second one is a new arrival and she doesn't have a nap or even a rest in the day. So whereas with the other one I could have a break when he had his sleep, with this one there's no break, no chill time for me at all. I've never had minded children who don't nap before and I need just a 15 minute break during the day to recharge my batteries after lunch whilst the little ones are sleeping.
I've said this to the little girl - I just need ten minutes to have a cup of tea. I sit in the room with her and encourage her to do something on her own for a while, then afterwards I'll sit down with her and join in, or we'll find something new to do.
But she kind of mooches around in that ten minutes, even with plenty of options of things to do, books to look at, even with her LMax she brought this morning Mum said she could play with for 15 minutes. So I feel guilty for not spending that time with her but if I don't I'll be frazzled.
Any advice?
I have two children I mind - both nearly 4 -who don't play independently at all, nor play very much with the other children. Each will follow me if I leave the room, stand in the kitchen while I prepare the lunches etc. I provide a variety of resources for them to play with, which they'll happily do if I'm in the room with them, but they just seem to want to be with me all the time. Up till now this hasn't been too big a problem - I'm happy to chat with them whilst I prepare lunch, or get the fridge magnets out for them to play with. But the second one is a new arrival and she doesn't have a nap or even a rest in the day. So whereas with the other one I could have a break when he had his sleep, with this one there's no break, no chill time for me at all. I've never had minded children who don't nap before and I need just a 15 minute break during the day to recharge my batteries after lunch whilst the little ones are sleeping.
I've said this to the little girl - I just need ten minutes to have a cup of tea. I sit in the room with her and encourage her to do something on her own for a while, then afterwards I'll sit down with her and join in, or we'll find something new to do.
But she kind of mooches around in that ten minutes, even with plenty of options of things to do, books to look at, even with her LMax she brought this morning Mum said she could play with for 15 minutes. So I feel guilty for not spending that time with her but if I don't I'll be frazzled.
Any advice?