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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Teaching a Baby to Play
Unregistered 10:24 AM 11-21-2014
I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to teach a 9 month old to play in a pack n play without crying. She is an only child and gets a lot of one on one attention at home which is great, but it creates a stressful situation for me here because she cries whenever I'm not focusing directly on her. I spend time in the floor playing with my kids each day because that's something I enjoy doing, but I also expect them to entertain themselves at times as well. She has been in my care for a month now so I thought she was just adjusting, but she continues to cry the second I turn my attention away from her. I have both babies and preschoolers so most of the day I only allow toys that are not a choking hazard, but I like to give the older kids a half hour or so out of the day where they can play with legos, hot wheels, and construction sets that have smaller pieces. They really look forward to that time of the day and I put the babies in pack n plays with age appropriate toys during that time. This little lady just screams the entire time. I've tried playing with her while she's in there, ignoring her, and mixing up the toys I give her. She just screams. Not a cry, but a scream the entire time until I take her out again. I don't want it to feel like a punishment to her. The other babies enjoy the quiet time to explore toys on their own. Any suggestions?
Unregistered 11:00 AM 11-21-2014
I would just continue doing what you are doing and pray she "gets it" eventually.
One thing I have learned from infant development classes is that if you want her to play nicely in the PNP is to remove her only when she isn't crying/screaming.
If you take her out when she is crying, she will connect the removal from PNP and crying to the same thing. She will think she gets taken out (what she wants) if she cries so instead only remove her when she is not crying. She doesn't have to be happy to remove her, just not cry-screaming. Then she will connect the good action (being taken out) to her behavior (not crying-screaming).
Babies are hard in mixed age groups and that is most the time the reason a lot of providers have stopped taking babies altogether. Plus 9 months is a very social age so her expectations of you (being in her face and entertaining only her) is definitely age appropriate. Just take it one day at a time and continue doing your regular routine. She will eventually fit right in.
One thing I have learned from infant development classes is that if you want her to play nicely in the PNP is to remove her only when she isn't crying/screaming.
If you take her out when she is crying, she will connect the removal from PNP and crying to the same thing. She will think she gets taken out (what she wants) if she cries so instead only remove her when she is not crying. She doesn't have to be happy to remove her, just not cry-screaming. Then she will connect the good action (being taken out) to her behavior (not crying-screaming).
Babies are hard in mixed age groups and that is most the time the reason a lot of providers have stopped taking babies altogether. Plus 9 months is a very social age so her expectations of you (being in her face and entertaining only her) is definitely age appropriate. Just take it one day at a time and continue doing your regular routine. She will eventually fit right in.
Play Care 11:10 AM 11-21-2014
I actually do it a little differently. I have the older kids go in the play yard (not PNP
but the gated play yard) with their toys so babies can stay out on the floor. My state has rules about how long babies can be in PNP's while awake and I like PNP's to be associated with sleep only
. The older kids know why they are in the play yard (and are choosing to be there)
Now I would still be working with baby and not picking her up from floor time for crying but maybe she would be more content that way.
but the gated play yard) with their toys so babies can stay out on the floor. My state has rules about how long babies can be in PNP's while awake and I like PNP's to be associated with sleep only. The older kids know why they are in the play yard (and are choosing to be there) Now I would still be working with baby and not picking her up from floor time for crying but maybe she would be more content that way.
nannyde 12:03 PM 11-21-2014
Do you have room for play yards?
Unregistered 03:15 PM 11-21-2014
I don't really have room for an actual play yard to be left out. I fold the pack n plays up when they're not being used. I may be able to gate off a section for the older kids though. I hadn't thought of that.