Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: I need help my 5 year old wont play by herself

Wow, lots of thoughts. For what its worth, here are mine: let her bring a few things into the room you are in, and do some "parallel" play - you do your thing and she can do hers. A lot of time the attention thing is actually looking for the comfort of you being close by. I was in a similar situation with my oldest (now 16), and with all of the upheaval, me in the room was what he wanted most. I also think the idea (somebody gave above) of 'help Mommy or go entertain yourself' is great. We used both of these a lot with all three of mine, and they loved helping clean (dusting, etc.), and do dishes (mostly rinsing plastic, but hey!). Thye still help, but the fun is all gone now

Another suggestion: keep the television, video game, and computer game thing to a minimum - it seems to require a LOT of Mommy time, AND they forget how to use their imagination.

I would see if you can maybe get her involved in a neighborhood sport or group so she can meet some friends, or even a half day twice a week program. There are even some co-ops out there run in churches that would work. Something so that she gets out among other people and other kids. The more she does, the more experiences she has, and the more she'll have in her mind to use in imaginative play - just be sure to leave her time for that!

Just one word of caution - a puppy is like a two year old, forever. And a five year old won't do the majority of the grunt work. With a new baby on the way, you might want to put this one on the back burner, especially since they do about as well as kids do with change, especially before they get older and more settled. A hamster might be better - at least they are smaller, but you can handle them, and the house can move with you.

Oh - one more thing. Sometimes, as you seem to hvae already found, the cheapest toys provide the best bang for your buck - playdough, scrap paper and finger paints; empty boxes, glue, and glitter; your old pots / pans, etc. for cooking (or playing the drums on) - you get the idea. Maybe she could pain the wood when she finishes hammering and sanding?

One nice thing, two isn't much more time consuming than one, once you get used to it

. Enjoy them both, and good luck!

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Beth
IBS - D

Edited by BethE (03/01/06 11:46 AM)

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