self-play...

[red and lulu]

How much time per day would you estimate your baby spends playing by themselves? This would include any awake time when they aren't being held or directly engaged by you... time in a crib with a mobile, sitting on the floor with some toys, sitting in a chair while you cook or go on MDC

[ErinYay]

DD will be 5 weeks old tomorrow, is awake and alert around 8 hours a day in total (yes, a LOT, but she's a wonderful sleeper and cries maybe a total of 15 minutes in 24 hours, on a bad day. Textbook "easy baby.")

I would guess that she could spend nearly the whole time gazing at toys, faces, the dog, invisible tiny airplanes that only she can see, playing with her hands, etc, though I've not yet put that to the test! Pretty much, she's happy doing whatever, wherever, whenever.

The only time she gets demanding and really fusses for interaction is after her night feeding/changing. She does not seem to enjoy quietly appreciating the darkness, but too bad for her, 4am is not playtime. She doesn't cry, but moves around and "talks" for ages, which, while preferable to crying, doesn't so much facilitate maternal sleepage.

She is a very strange, but very delightful baby. Hopefully this continues!

[sunshynbaby]

It's probably 30-60 minutes total in short bits. Even when he is having his floor time we stay close by and interact a bit while he plays, so I don't think that counts...

[YayJennie]

Wyatt has always been a pretty independent baby. He's almost 10 months old, and since he has been crawling (3-4 months) he spends a good portion of the time we're home playing alone. He sits in his high chair for 30-45 minutes each morning, eating while I make breakfast and do the dishes. Then usually an hour or so (straight) in the late morning he will play in the living room while I do my thing, with only minimal interaction (I'm in the same room with him, so he's not really "alone", but he hardly even looks at me and only crawls over to me if he wants something.) Most days we go out to playgroup or the YMCA in the afternoon, but if we don't, he'll play alone for another 30-45 minutes straight again. Honestly, if it weren't for my boobies, I would think the kid didn't need me at all! (that's not true, but he does do really well independently)

[oolongtea]

Hee hee, I thought this was going to be about masturbation.

I have to be right there next to him, but he'll play for 20 minutes at a stretch with toys or the bottles in the fridge door or the pots and pans, several times a day.

[evening start]

Wyatt sounds a lot like Colin who is 8.5 months. He spends 20-30 minutes playing in the crib in the morning while I shower/get ready for the day, then spends large chunks of time crawling around and playing independently (2-3 hours in 15-45 minute chunks most days). We bought "toy boxes" that are three sided so that he can crawl in himself and get what he wants by himself. I often sit in the room with him reading or on the computer and if he wants me he will crawl over and pull up on my leg. I will often comment on/describe what he is doing, but am not actively playing with him. Then he will spend another 45-60 minutes in the doorway jumper or high chair while I make dinner. Again, I am often describing what we each are doing, but not specifically actively engaging him. We also spend around 2-3 hours a day playing/reading/singing/attending a class together, and hour or two nursing/eating, and 2-3 hours napping (sometimes together, sometimes just him), so about half is waking hours he is independent and the other half are engaged with me and/or other adults in his life.

[Auraji]

DD is 8 months and she plays between 30-90 min a day total by herself. Im usually in the room with her and she plays while I do chores, use the computer.

In the morning we play in our room or dss's. If it's our room I put her in the crib with some toys or the floor. In dss's room there's a million things to play with, so she feels like she's in disneyland. While I shower she plays on a spot I make for her with bath toys, while I cook I give her wodden spoons, measuring cups and she has a blast. During the evening night, I put her on her playard or the floor and she explores, bangs, pulls, whatever she can. As she grows she seems to entertain herself more, but I have to be in the room with her, if I leave for even just a second, she'll cry.

[annekh23]

It feels like none, but in reality there is some, but it's 5-10mins here and there and almost never with me out of the room. It's also usually with me beginning to play with her, showing her things, restacking something etc. then maybe managing to go to the loo! She's almost 8mths.

[mamadelbosque]

Heh, oops.. I forgot what forum I was in and voted for DS1 (more than 2 hours - he's nearly 3... DS2? The baby? Eh. Maybe an hour+ in short stretches... Sorry!!

[blumooned]

Originally Posted by oolongtea

Hee hee, I thought this was going to be about masturbation.

Sorry, that was too funny!

OK, seriously - LO is 9mos & plays alone for short periods (10min) throughout the day, but we're almost always in the same room with him. When I cook dinner, he sits in his highchair & plays for about 20min, but I need to interact with him somewhat. So, we are in the 30-60min bracket, but probably closer to the 30min end.

[j_p_i]

I chose 1-2 hours in short bits... my LO is 7.5 months and since she started crawling, it's basically me hanging out near her while she crawls and pulls herself to standing constantly. She's not too interested in toys or playing with me because she's on such a mission to find the next thing to stand on! I'm always right there, just not actively playing with her because of this.

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

Evie will often play with her toys next to me, but crawl over to my foot and, say, hit my foot with a hammer. So I think it's about 1-2 hours a day in short bits. She's rather independent, when she's not being uber-clingy.

[Blueone]

My son is 6 months and he'll play independently for short periods of time that add up to around an hour or 2. He loves to have me right next to him though.

[DevaMajka]

I voted 1-2 hours in long stretches. In reality, some stretches are long (30 minutes or so, maybe more), and others are short. Actually, he may spend more time playing by himself, but it's hard to tell how much time he spends alone- ds1 plays with him a lot.
That's for my current baby.

When ds1 was a baby, I would have voted "none"

Actually, thinking about it now, my 6 month old probably spends more time playing by himself than my 5yo does!

[transylvania_mom]

none. But she's only 3 mo and mil currently lives with us so we're taking turns playing/interacting with her. It will be a different story in May, when mil leaves.