Party For One
One thing I am really working on in preparation for Smaller Waller is teaching Elli how to play alone. I worked on that before I was even pregnant because I feel it is a very important skill, but when I saw that positive pregnancy test, it became my mission. I
know that there will be times when I will need Elli to entertain herself because I will need to tend to the baby. I think waiting until the baby arrives is too late to start teaching this skill so I’m working on it now. The verdict is – I’m not very impressed with my teaching ability. Elli is a social butterfly, an extrovert, a party girl. Elli loves to be around people and so learning to play by herself is truly a challenge.
When she was an infant, I would put her in the pack-and-play and she did entertain herself there but as she gets older, she craves interactive games. She wants me to help her feed her baby dolls in the kitchen or help her build towers with her Legos. For Christmas I rallied for toys that would encourage independent play but again I haven’t been impressed with the outcome.
We have a few more months (15 weeks exactly) to prepare for Smaller Waller’s arrival so we will keep working on this skill. I just have to keep reminding myself that, like any other developmental milestone, learning to play alone takes time and happens in baby steps. Today I bought her some color-wonder markers and she enjoyed those for a few minutes at the kitchen table while I fixed her lunch…tonight I will celebrate that small victory as I trudge forward in this battle.
Do you have any suggestions on how to encourage independent play?
Have you heard of blanket training? Essentially you put Elli on a designated blanket (it must be the same one every time until she’s got it down pat, so maybe make or buy a special blanket for this.) and insist she stay on it. Give her toys, maybe a snack and a drink, and every time she tries to get off the blanket, simply put her back on and tell her to play. After repetitive conditioning, she’ll learn that when she’s been placed on that blanket, she has to play there by herself. Keep her within your line of sight, but don’t interact with her except to put her back on the blanket. You’ll have to start with small periods of time and work up to an actual length of time. A few days at 5 min. a few at 10… keep increasing time.
Hope that helps!
I haven’t heard of this, but I certainly like the sound of it! I think it is worth a shot. I’ve been trying to give her a few minutes at a time of “alone time,” but I think the specific spot on the blanket might help! Thanks for pointing me towards it – I’ll certainly be researching it the next few days.
Good luck! Maybe we’ll see a blog post up later about how that works out for you.