Solo play

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

How much does/did your 1.5 year old play with others?

The reason I ask is because Isabella seems to have no interest in playing with other kids... or even along side other kids.

Yesterday we were at the play park (indoors) and the whole time she was off on her own playing with balls. She never once went over to where other kids were.

Even at home. She loves when I sit on the floor with her, but she's also just as happy sitting in the hall, by herself and playing... or dancing... or singing... or whatever. :sad:

She does love to play and interact with her cousin emily who is 15mo older but that's it. She doesn't seem shy. She'll go to anyone but when it comes to play she's just all alone. It doesn't seem to bother her, I mean yesterday with th eballs she was squealing and laughing and having a great time... by herself.

Should I be worried? Is this something that will change? I just worry because I see other kids her age play with or along side each other but not Isabella.

Maybe she's too intelligent and can't be bothered with their shenanigans :hehe: :rolleyes:

[Salvigirl]

I wouldn't worry AT ALL! Gabriel has been with my friends daughter since birth on a somewhat daily basis (they are exactly one month apart). He is now 23 months and she is 22 months and they do not "play" together. He does his thing, she does hers and when they actually DO interact it is usually pulling and fighting over a toy with both yelling "MINE"! This has been a fairly new thing and at 18 months old they didn't even fight. Gabe would be off opening the fridge and Brooklyn would be playing or watching TV. When there are older kids around Gabe will look at them and sometimes follow them around but still does not "play" with them. At this age, they are just taking it all in and it is about discovery. She is perfectly normal and will be playing before you know it!

Here is a link that may be an interesting read: http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-24-month-olds-social-and-emotional-development-playing_1273376.bc

[AddiesMomma]

Addie isn't around other kids much. I remember taking her to the park many times and she acted like I was the only person there. I'd say it was probably around the 18 month mark that she started following the other kids around and playing with them.

Honestly, I've noticed that she doesn't like playing with kids her age, but would rather have someone a little older (like 7-10) who will hold her hand and kind of stand in for me if that makes any sense?

[Goosey]

Its not something I would worry about. They all come to their social sides in their own time, I think.

My youngest is 2 but he is a bruiser so he just plows the road when it comes to playing with others or his brothers.

My 6 yr old loves to watch but not necessarily play with others. My 4 yr old isnt a fan of playing with others except his brothers. He just isnt social nor care to be.

[Jojo]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry either. (but look who you are talking to!) When Matt has his friend over they don't play with each other. They just make each other cry! Now when we go visit the boys (they are 6 and 4) he just loves them to death. He follows them everywhere and wants to do everything they do :)

He does play by himself but he doesn't really play with toys. More into self destruction. :hehe:

[emilade]

It's a stage, apparently. That's what everyone tells me. Alice generally doesn't care to play with other kids unless they are older. She plays with some kids her age, but I think she gets tired of them quickly because neither her nor them know how to share yet. She gets frustrated, takes her toy and goes to play by herself eventually :hehe:.

[Cindy]

Conner doesn't really care to play with other kids either. He just goes off and does his own thing. He does like watching older kids do their thing, but he doesn't interact with them.

[theWrap]

Totally normal!! Sam loves playing alongside Mommy, but only because he's had lots of practice, since we started taking Kindermusik when he was about 18 months old. Only recently, at 2 years 3 months, has he started playing with other children...I'd say it's been in the last month. Even at his birthday party, he had NO interest in playing with other children.

[theWrap]

It's a stage, apparently. That's what everyone tells me. Alice generally doesn't care to play with other kids unless they are older. She plays with some kids her age, but I think she gets tired of them quickly because neither her nor them know how to share yet. She gets frustrated, takes her toy and goes to play by herself eventually :hehe:.

Yep. When Sam was Alice's age, he loved playing with (girls) who were 6-10. I used to joke we needed to give birth to an older sister for him and he'd be thrilled!

[emilade]

It's a stage, apparently. That's what everyone tells me. Alice generally doesn't care to play with other kids unless they are older. She plays with some kids her age, but I think she gets tired of them quickly because neither her nor them know how to share yet. She gets frustrated, takes her toy and goes to play by herself eventually :hehe:.

Yep. When Sam was Alice's age, he loved playing with (girls) who were 6-10. I used to joke we needed to give birth to an older sister for him and he'd be thrilled!

:lol: Luckily Alice has a bunch of cousins in the right age range, so I don't have to attempt that miracle!

[lilbunnygirl]

It is normal for kids under 2 to play "near" other kids as opposed to with them. Cash was different, he's always been very sociable with little kids (he's super stand offish with non-parent adults though) but he's the exception rather than the rule, from everything I have read the norm is just playing alongside each other as opposed to interacting until they pass 2. And like everything else, it varies from child to child!

[Leah]

Talon turned 2 in March and he is just barely interested in other kids or playing along side them. Before now he could care less and even now he still mostly does his own thing. He is starting to be interested in the bigger kids when we go to the park and will copy them or do what they do, but I still don't know if that really qualifies him as playing with others. He asks now to see his friend a lot and so you would think when he actually finally gets to see her he would be excited and play with her, but nope. He ignores her and does his own thing. She is 2 1/2 and I notice that she is now try to play with and tell him to push the stroller or do whatever, but he just ignores her. :hehe:

Usually it doesn't happen until after 3 when they start to engage more in pretend play. I worked in a preschool in the 2 year old room and they all did their own thing. ;)

[Farah]

I actually just asked the preschool "principal" at Charlie's school about this since Charlie wants to play WITH other kids not next to them. She said that wasn't normal and that desire usually doesn't fully come until 3.5 or 4 yrs depending on the kid. Which makes sense since that's the age group Charlie loves to play with. Charlie's just a super super social kid, though. Clearly, he got that from his dad :hehe:

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[theWrap]

It's a stage, apparently. That's what everyone tells me. Alice generally doesn't care to play with other kids unless they are older. She plays with some kids her age, but I think she gets tired of them quickly because neither her nor them know how to share yet. She gets frustrated, takes her toy and goes to play by herself eventually :hehe:.

Yep. When Sam was Alice's age, he loved playing with (girls) who were 6-10. I used to joke we needed to give birth to an older sister for him and he'd be thrilled!

:lol: Luckily Alice has a bunch of cousins in the right age range, so I don't have to attempt that miracle!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Very convenient...I have wondered how I would carry a 10 year old girl...my friend's daughter is almost my height!

[BabyLove08]

J is 16 and a half months and he likes to do his own thing but on ocassion he will go play with his cousins who are 2 years older than him. I agree I think it just depends on the age and personality of the child.

[Mama Sandy]

After reading this I can now completely understand why Averie is perfectly content playing with our other kids but in public places she doesn't play miuch when around other kids that are closer to her age.

[futureMrsF]

Ru was a bully at that age. She was bigger than the other little girls her age that we went to playgroup with...and she thought it was hilarious when the fell down if she bumped them. lol

I think some of them just get social in their own time. My oldest was a total social butterfly from the minute she was born. Loved other people, loved kids, loved to play with anyone that would sit down long enough to play with her...

I wouldn't worry!

[Bootysaurus]

Kids won't really "play" with each other until about 3 ...they start to play next to each other around age 2. Depending on their exposure. Aidan plays alongside the kids in her daycare, but she's known them basically all her life.

Dylan, on the other hand, had a hard time approaching other kids and was really shy for a long time.

I wouldn't worry.

[Erin]

yes, this is the age of parallel play. They will play along side others, but rarely with them. At lease that is what i was taught when i was teaching 18 mo- 3 years :)

[Ashley]

Agreed with the others. Even with having an older sibling, Lily's idea of playing with means telling Tyler to give her something :rolleyes: