Your child’s alone play time is essential for their development, as it builds independence, self-confidence, creativity and problem-solving skills. Once children get into it they will keep playing, but getting them started is the hardest part, and here are some tips to achieve that.
- Get your child started
Sometimes, the child will want to play by themselves, but they just need a little push or inspiration. As a mother, it is important that you help your child find a new, fun idea on what to play with.
More than that, you should spend a few minutes helping your child set up any new game they might have in mind, as your presence will make them more likely to get fully involved into it.
- Once they started playing, don’t interrupt
One of the things adults hate the most is getting interrupted from whatever activity they are doing, and the same goes for children. Once your child is busy playing by themselves, you should try to leave him alone as much as you can.
As much as your mother instincts might want to jump in and give advice, or even ask what they are doing, it is important that you just do your own thing somewhere nearby and give them space. This will teach your child to be more independent, but also let them know that you are there in case something happens.
- Don’t try to accommodate every one of your child’s request
When they are playing with certain toys, you should try to let them focus on those, instead of trying to bring new ones into the game. Even if they request other objects, it is important to teach them to work with what they have at the moment, and not spend too much time thinking about what else they’d rather be playing with.
- Start as early as possible
Andy Scott, lifestyle blogger at Uktopwriters and Revieweal, says “starting to get your child into independent play is great no matter the age”. However, the younger they are, the more impatient they are also, and they might not handle being alone for too long, and their short attention span might also make them likely to abandon whatever activity they were pursuing.
It is important to establish a “play space” for your child and let them play for about 5 minutes every day, while also checking in every now and then. This lets the child know that you are still there so they don’t feel abandoned, and it also reinforces the idea that their “play space” equals play time. As they get used to it, increasing the play time little by little is recommended, until they are comfortable with both their play space and the independence.
Initial resistance from the child should be expected but if they get past this period, they will usually start getting into it by themselves right away.
- Give positive feedback, but don’t get too involved
Although it is important not to interrupt the child, they might seek your attention regardless, either to show you something they made or something they like. As a mom, you should give positive feedback towards their activity, maybe even ask a few questions to push their imagination further.
Afterwards, the child should go back to playing by themselves, and you should go back to whatever activity you were doing. If they ask for further attention give it to them, but it is important to not overdo it.
- Get your child into open-ended activities
Sure, it is fun to buy a toy for your child that has a very specific purpose, but Michelle Lane, teacher at Bigassignments and Bestbritishessays, states that “it is important to also get them more open-ended and creative toys like blocks, cars, even dolls”. Such toys are meant to be used in whatever way the child decides, which is very essential towards their development as they build creativity and imagination.
By providing your child with such toys, they will always find a new thing to do and therefore get less bored and more likely to continue their independent play.
- Change is key
Too much routine can be bad for your kid, as they will likely get bored of playing very quickly. That doesn’t mean you should constantly buy them new toys: simply separating toys into various rooms of the house can do the trick. The child will always have a new setting to choose, and with the setting, new toys to play with.
It is very important to teach your child the importance of independent play from a young age. The most important thing you can do to get your child to play by themselves is consistency: constantly pushing them into the right direction will make them more likely to pursue it by themselves.
Molly Crockett, writer at Essay writing and Assignment service, loves giving advice on personal development and writing about her own unique lifestyle tips. She is also teaching writing skills at Stateofwriting.
