Encouraging play and books- was:Re: Rude or am I expecting too much?


"enigma" <enigma@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote
it just gets really frustrating to buy him toys because he
*doesn't play*. he has several hundred Matchbox/Hot Wheel cars
that mostly are piled in a bin. he has dozens of the 1:64
scale John Deere tractors & accessories... but he only gets
angry that they don't really work. he has Legos, & Magneatos &
Tinkertoys & wooden blocks. the only way he'll 'play' with any
of those is if a grownup sits down & builds him something...
and then he might spend less than 5 minutes watching the
process.
so, no, i don't think i'll be causing him hours of therapy
later. he doesn't *get* the concept of toys or play.
lee

My 2.5 year old is like this. She won't play with baby dolls in any way,
shape or form which is fine. She also has and does as you describe above.
She has MegaBlocks, Fisher Price Little People sets (farm and dollhouse and
amusement park), Playskool Weebles, matchbox cars, Pop-Onz, other blocks,
and a kitchen set with tons of cool realistic play foods. She basically
won't play with much of it alone and when she does it is very brief and she
usually just scatters it out then wanders off. She will play with it if an
adult sits down with her but like you said, she will watch for about 5
minutes before she wanders off then. She has a tricycle she won't
ride...etc. She'd rather do "gymnastics" on the floor, jump around, and
dance to the music on tv which is always on in the background. She is no
couch potato--she's extremely energetic.

We have wondered if we wasted our money on "big" birthdays and Christmases,
all those toys. We aren't considering not getting her anything but we think
we are going to cut way back and she probably won't even notice. ??? Is this
normal for a 2-3 year old? Others I have seen her age come over and are all
over her toys playing, she even goes to their homes with news toys and
doesn't play much. She loves to play with the kid, it's the *objects* and
material things she doesn't care much about.

She is sort of the same way about books, she is not too interested or
attached. Now THIS disappoints me, though I don't show it. I was never in
daycare or preschool but I was reading before kindergarten (and writing
basic words), and LOVED to read in elementarty and junior high. How can I
get DD to sit still to be read to, and play??? Technically she will be 2 and
a half in early November. She is smart as a whip and loves people. Her
pediatrician says she has the vocabulary and sentence structure of the
average 4 year old. Her fine motor skills are a little above average as
well...her people skills seem to be better than mine, as she is not shy, and
doesn't seem to ne sensitive or prone to hurt feelings- lol.

But because she is so smart, I want to get her into books, and I want the
experience of reading to her a lot-- instead of her sitting on my lap
babbling and trying to wriggle away and not paying the book a bit of
attention. She does LIKE books just seems not to want to sit still. But
wouldn't you know she loves to calm down before bed by watching those
droning Baby Einstein videos..she'll watch for an hour while dozing off.

So anyway I have subscribed her to Baby Bug and LadyBug magazines
(expensive!) which have not arrived yet but she does love to thumb through
things and talk about what she sees. Oh yes........she also doesn't play
with Playdough "right"- she opens it up, tears it off into tiny chunks and
leaves it to dry instead of trying to build or mush it. She won't color
either, with crayons. She prefers to scribble a big jumble with markers. Any
tips on harnessing her in? lol...she is obviously very bright...I am not an
experienced parent at all, she is my only, so what I want to know- is this
her personality? Or is it her age and it could change when she's 4 or 5? Or
is it fairly common? What is this??

I wonder if part of it is this: I was overjoyed to have her, and am giving
her MY dream childhood. I get her anything she shows interest in and don't
push my interests on her..I was a tomboy but I did love to role play with
baby dolls and feed and dress and "parent" them. She has no interest in baby
dolls, so after the first one she doesn't like, I don't buy her any of that.
She likes to brush Barbie dolls hairs and loves those so I am buying her
quite a collection of those for when she's old enough. I loved books, so I
buy a ton of good books. Since pregnancy I have had her the usual goodies-
Goodnight Moon, Sandra Boyton's silly ones, etc. I buy her Play Dough and
just all the stuff that I would be in heaven for. I am giving her my dream
childhood. But I make sure to respond to what she shows interest in.
Anything she likes, I'll get it for her...have I made her take it for
granted?


.

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