Why are they not playing toys............advi ce

[torontokids]

My crew is pretty good at playing by themselves but they aren't necessarily like that with mom and dad. I have just made a conscious decision to not entertain them (which has been hard for me at times and some kids really do struggle with this) but once my first crew was "trained" then all new kids have just followed suit. That's not to say I don't have a couple sucky kids that want all my attention but they are redirected and usually find something to do. We do a lot of free play here and I learned quickly that the more I do for them (activities etc) the more they expect from me.

[AmandaKDT]

My crew is pretty good at playing by themselves but they aren't necessarily like that with mom and dad. I have just made a conscious decision to not entertain them (which has been hard for me at times and some kids really do struggle with this) but once my first crew was "trained" then all new kids have just followed suit. That's not to say I don't have a couple sucky kids that want all my attention but they are redirected and usually find something to do. We do a lot of free play here and I learned quickly that the more I do for them (activities etc) the more they expect from me.

I purposefully don't entertain as well. Unless someone needs a redirection because of a disagreement with a friend I keep free play totally up to them. I may introduce a new toy or suggest a play idea, but other than that I don't get involved at all (unless of course someone wants my to try the delicious chocolate cake they "made"). I also don't have TV as an option either, except for my non-sleepers during quiet time .