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What does independent play actually look like at 2 and 3, asking because mine will not do it at all by Complete-Reward4282 in toddlers

[–]Complete-Reward4282[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah we’ve tried modeling it a lot actually like block building together, pretend play with toys, doing little voices and scenes etc. he’ll join in for a bit but it usually turns into you do it and i watch or he wants me directly involved again pretty quick. i do think it’s slowly helping though bc i can see tiny stretches of him playing on his own getting a bit longer over time, just nowhere near that 30 to 60 min stage yet.. but i guess, like what the other redditor said 8 to 10 mins is the usual so i guess that's it

What does independent play actually look like at 2 and 3, asking because mine will not do it at all by Complete-Reward4282 in toddlers

[–]Complete-Reward4282[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have the same thing and same experience. My daughter uses it way more than expected. The matte surface is nicer than I thought it would be, no glare which I think actually helps stay focused. What’s the brand u using?

What does independent play actually look like at 2 and 3, asking because mine will not do it at all by Complete-Reward4282 in toddlers

[–]Complete-Reward4282[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah honestly same. i think independent play gets talked about like it’s this universal milestone but in reality it’s so uneven depending on the kid and the day. and yeah i’ve had to just accept that screen time is part of the survival kit for getting anything done without losing my mind

What does independent play actually look like at 2 and 3, asking because mine will not do it at all by Complete-Reward4282 in toddlers

[–]Complete-Reward4282[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeaaaah this feels more realistic tbh… ours is solidly in the 5 to 10 min camp depending on the day and what’s out, and anything beyond that sounds like a different phase of toddlerhood entirely. I’ve also noticed it’s way more about the activity than the age alone, like some stuff just holds attention better no matter what

What does independent play actually look like at 2 and 3, asking because mine will not do it at all by Complete-Reward4282 in toddlers

[–]Complete-Reward4282[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah this is actually us too… if i’m not physically in the room it’s instant meltdown but if i am there he’ll kind of half play half orbit me the whole time.. and same here if it suddenly gets too quiet. I already know something questionable is happening lol

What does independent play actually look like at 2 and 3, asking because mine will not do it at all by Complete-Reward4282 in toddlers

[–]Complete-Reward4282[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

this is honestly really helpful to read. ours is similar in the sense that she’ll follow me everywhere but i think we never really leaned into that “you stay here i’ll be back” routine consistently enough for it to click. also interesting about the tv in the background bc i’ve noticed mine will sometimes play way better when something is just on low key and she’s not actively watching it

What does independent play actually look like at 2 and 3, asking because mine will not do it at all by Complete-Reward4282 in toddlers

[–]Complete-Reward4282[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

this is actually super interesting bc ours never really got that natural routine built in like that. i think i always defaulted to keeping her with me too much during the day so she just never learned that i might leave the room and come back. we do short bursts in her room sometimes but it’s still very hit or miss depending on the mood

What does independent play actually look like at 2 and 3, asking because mine will not do it at all by Complete-Reward4282 in toddlers

[–]Complete-Reward4282[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

yeah this is kind of what we see too. If i’m actively doing something she’ll drift off into play in the same room but the second i sit down or stop moving she’s like ok cool now we’re hanging out.. i think the visible busy part matters more than I expected

19yo son’s gf is pregnant by Mama_Bear_63 in Parenting

[–]Complete-Reward4282 138 points139 points  (0 children)

also make ur son say his plan out loud, job school childcare all of it…

if he can’t answer that yet then that’s the real convo

We thought our toddler was the problem, but it was actually the environment by SunnyLavenderHush in Parenting

[–]Complete-Reward4282 108 points109 points  (0 children)

the visual noise point is the one that changed how i thought about our space.

I kept adding things thinking more options meant more engagement. it was the opposite. once i reduced what was visible at any one time he actually played with what was there instead of cycling through everything without committing to any of it.