How much time do you spend really playing with LO?

[NaturallyPeachey]

DS is 18 months and I'm 8 months pregnant. It's getting harder and harder to play on the floor with him and I'm feeling guilty. He's very good at playing on his own but I was wondering if he does too much of it. He hangs out with grandma one afternoon a week and I know she keeps him on the go and two mornings he goes to daycare. DH on the weekends is hit or miss with interacting with him. So on an average day do you spend two hours really playing with your LO? more time? less time? i always try to involve him in what I "have" to do (cooking, cleaning etc.) but he generally loses interest after about 5 minutes and runs off to play on his own......

[sapphire_chan]

He runs off to play on his own.

How lovely.

Lina whines until I pick her up to go look at the interesting thing.

That said, I don't get in a huge amount of playing time. In part because she doesn't play as much as she should because things are messy here and that kills her concentration.

[Crystal_R]

I probably spend 90 minutes- 2 hours actively playing with DD. It's more on days where it's nice enough to go to the park or outside. She does the wander away and play by herself thing too. i figure if she wants me she'll come back and and insist I play with her.

[JudiAU]

READ IT and MAMA PLAY YOU are heard in our house about every three minutes.

I spend quite a lot of time playing with the toddler, probably 2-3 solid hours a day not including the time we spend reading. We actually have a much better day overall if I really concentrate on him for awhile, rather than trying to do a lot and pretending like I am playing. If I've spent a good amount of time, he can then pursue his own thing for awhile instead of ME. We have cool toys and I don't mind playing with them. =)

Also, I am on materinty leave right now and I work FT when I am not. I am really trying to make the time about my kids rather than the house, etc. It is wild and crazy and so tiring and awesome.

[SactoMommy]

I read a while ago that you should spend 1/3 of your time with your LO actively playing, 1/3 interacting (yk, like doing the dishes while talk to them), and 1/3 independent play. So, in a 10 hour day (assuming a 2 hour nap) 3:20 of each.

I think my DS spends about 20 min playing by himself.

I try to get in a good 2-3 hours solid not-doing-anything-else play. DH does a lot of 1:1 play when he comes home. Some days it's less than others because they only time we really have alone is when DD is napping.

[MomtoAshlee]

During the week, I only get about 2 hours with DD because of work. In those 2 hours, it is actually playing or interacting while cooking supper. But during the weekend, I pretty much spend it with her. However, she does play by herself alot, she will just go to her room and play, which is nice when there are things that need to be done. My babysitters interact with pretty much the entire day but she does like to play alone too.

[Violet2]

Oh momma, your child is a gift. Plays by himself. I wish!

Haven't seen that here since...ever.

DD wants my attention ALOT and tons of hugs. I include her as best I can in things I need to do but I pretty much clear the deck so I can play with her.

Today she let me cook for a good 1.5 hours which was unusual.

Also, I don't think there is such a thing as too much play. If you're concerned about that, maybe look at doing some Montessori type stuff with DS.

For now switch one-on-one play to things that are comfortable for YOU. Sounds like your DS will adjust just fine.

V

[kirstenb]

I am uber-pregnant too right now, so there is very little of me getting on the floor and playing, lol. On the weekends, we do a lot of reading on the couch together, I will sit with him at the table to color or play with Playdo, we go outside to the playground or ride bikes, etc. He helps me fold laundry and put it away. We clean together. He likes to be in the same room as DH or I but will often play by himself as long as he can see us. I don't mind him running off and playing if he wants to though! During the week because of our work schedule, there is a lot less playing and more interacting in the evenings while we cook, do bedtime, etc.

[CHoney]

My DS toodles off and plays by himself most of the time. He's been really independent since he was walking a few months ago. I try and read to him, and play ball and chat with him, so hopefully he's doing well!

[nelson]

DS does not play by himself for more than a couple minutes each day. I relish those times. If he played by himself, I would be completely comfortable with that, but since he doesn't, I am "forced" to play with him for many hours each day, and so is DH when he gets home from work so that I can cook, which I love, because I feel like it is my one time during the day to myself besides naptime. DS doesn't go to daycare though, so I feel like I have to interact with him a bit more than some kids who have more socializing during the day.

[Llyra]

Very little, actually, when I stop and think about it. It depends on what you call play. My younger two are twins, of course, so they have each other, and I think that makes for more "independent" play at a younger age.

I'm together with the two youngest all day, of course, but mostly I do my thing, and they play together or by themselves or with the neighbors' kids. We talk a lot, and they sing with me while I'm doing my stuff, and we eat together, and occasionally they'll drop in and help me with what I'm doing, or I'll join briefly in what they're doing. They'll come help me fold laundry or carry apples up from the cellar or something, and I'll stop what I'm doing to admire a block castle or a crayon picture, or to make appreciative noises about the city bus going past.

I probably spend about twenty minutes reading to them, and some days twice that. I probably spend about thirty minutes a day actually PLAYING with them, which usually is silly word games and dancing or roughhousing together, although we do a lot of INTERACTING almost constantly all day. And that thirty minutes isn't one long continuous stretch of time-- it's me stopping here and there for a minute to engage one child or the other or both, just to check in or help redirect a kid who's getting edgy or needs help finding something to get busy with.

I don't like get down on the floor and play with toys or anything like that, like I did with DD1 at this age, because they don't want me to. DD2 will actually tell me, "Mama, go 'way. We playin this. Go do your works."

Actually, do you count playing music together? After dinner, we put on music or DH plays guitar, and we'll dance together and sing, but that's more of a kids joining in an adult activity kind of thing, since we don't play kiddie music or anything like that.

[APToddlerMama]

I'm glad you posted this question! I have an 18 month old too and was wondering the same thing. I would say I also fall into the 2ish hours/day range for actively playing with my son, snuggling, or reading. I often feel like it isn't enough and feel guilty about that, but then on the other hand, I also feel like he needs to be able to play independently a bit too. Plus, we eat our meals together, and it takes a loooong time to get him down to sleep for his naps. Glad to hear other mamas seem to fall into a similar range.

[Evelynmia'smom]

My dd is pretty independent so she plays very well by herself or trying to play with our dog who just runs away from her. It really depends on the day for us. I spend alot of time with her all day...we spend a good amount of time outside and she loves to just roam...I will point things out to her and explain what they are etc. when we are inside, we listen to music and some days I play with her alot and chase her around or play peek a boo or attempt to read to her...but generally she likes to try to figure out how to get the dog's collar on his neck by herself and stuff like that, she's not really into most toddler toys. Other days like most days this week for example, she just wants me to carry her around all day which is really hard when I'm trying to cook, etc.

[mommariffic]

I don't even know if I play

We do more activities [DD is 2]

We go to the park, we have a daily adventure [which can be running errands, going to Manhattan or something of the likes..] and she helps me cook and we do crafts and read a TON.

But playing? She plays on her own sometimes if I set something up. On occasional I'll pretend play with her, but mostly I do my own thing and she interacts with me.