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mamamanda 04:35 PM 06-08-2014
I know this is a bit lengthy so thank you if you read it. I kind of need to vent, but am hoping for some ideas too.

My son is almost 3 and I watch 2 full time kids from the same family ages 2.5 & 4. The children I care for struggle greatly with any type of independent play and I have spent 10 months modeling how to play with various toys, encouraging any positive behavior I see, etc. but I feel like I am failing with them. It's so frustrating. My son on the other hand LOVES to play and build with toys. He will build train tracks, block structures, play with rescue centers that have many parts, etc. and he will entertain himself sometimes for more than an hour.

The problem is that the other children won't initiate play with anything, but as soon as my son starts playing they run over to "play with him." In reality this involves taking his pieces, breaking the parts he has already constructed, knocking down his towers, etc. He gets so frustrated some days that he will just sit and cry. I have tried both explaining and showing them how to find the unused blocks and build beside him or join in his story line without taking the exact pieces he is using, but they just don't seem to get it.

I've had to resort to letting him play in his room by himself some days and I have to gate off the doorway to keep them from bothering him. Then they stand at the gate and holler at him. Nothing I have tried to get them to play with something else is working. I play with them, but the second I get up they are done with the toys.

He is now becoming aggressive with them and crying a lot, and when I ask him why he hit his friends he says "I asked them to stop nicely, but they won't listen." I'm at a loss as to how to handle this now. Anyone else have an issue like this? Do you allow your children to have their own space when dck are present? I know it really bothers the other children if he is allowed to play in his room without them, but I just don't know what else to do.

Thanks in advance.
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