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AfterSchoolMom 06:27 AM 01-06-2011
What do you do with one child all day? Or two? Is it harder to get them to play independently/do they expect you to play with them a lot?
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momofboys 06:33 AM 01-06-2011
Originally Posted by AfterSchoolMom:
What do you do with one child all day? Or two? Is it harder to get them to play independently/do they expect you to play with them a lot?
During the daytime I watch 1 other child other than my son but the little boy I watch is the same age as my son. I do play with them part of the time & read stories w/them but for the most part they do play together. I think it helps if they are the same age.
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juliebug 07:02 AM 01-06-2011
it really depends i have a 3yr dcg who plays great independently. i do do some preschool crafts, and games with her for 30 min a day. then have a 17month old who just wants to CHEW on everything but i would say its a split some playing with both then independently while i clean up or make lunch them my kids come after school and my dd plays great with dcg they have free play all afternoon!
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Daycare_Mama 07:08 AM 01-06-2011
I agree with janarae...

I just have one dcb and he is just a few months younger than my daughter. For the most part, they play great together. Sure, there's the occasional bite or hit, but they really are little friends and play together nicely. I'm so glad I decided to take a child close to my daughter's age because kids really do play differently with each other than you can play with them.

I buy mother goose time every few months and we do stuff out of there in the mornings if it's a good day for it. I also read with them and play with them, but like Janarae said, for the most part, they play together.

It also depends on the kid too because my dcb is very good at playing independently in the mornings before my daughter wakes up.
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MommyMuffin 08:25 AM 01-06-2011
Fulltime I have a 4 month old and a 2 yo. I have my own 2 yo, so they play all day together. We do activities and read a lot but for the most part they play with each other. I have a part time 16 month old and they dont play with him at all, he just destroys all their things. But the 16 month old is content playing alone or just following them around.

If the children are the same age or very young there shouldnt be a problem.
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cillybean83 08:29 AM 01-06-2011
i have a 12 month old boy (mine) a 15 month old fulltime girl, an 11 month old part time boy and a 10 month old part time girl, it amazes me how well they play together, it's fun to watch them interact

when it's just my son and the 15 month old, they play fine together, my son is pretty independent, so he plays fine by himself, but the little girl is REALLY clingy and needs lots of lap time, snuggle time, grown up interaction with play, etc...I think it has to do with the fact that my son has me around 24/7 so he can take or leave me when it comes to play time, and she doesn't have her mom much, she's here 50+ hours a week, goes home, then dad takes over and mom goes to school
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Lucy 09:13 AM 01-06-2011
The big kids just went back to school today. Finally!!! We had budget cuts which added 14 additional days off to the calendar (above and beyond what they already had off!!) and they had 3 weeks off for Christmas.

Anyway, I have one full-time 2yr old girl, and one three days/wk 2yr old boy. So two days a week, I only have ONE child from 8:45 to 3:45. She and her brother (7 1/2) have been with me since each one was born, so she's really comfortable here. She plays, reads books, "helps" me with things like dusting (ha ha) and sometimes we will go to the grocery store together. She's a long sleeper - usually 3 hours - so really she's alone for about 4 hours. Not bad. We keep busy. When the other 2yr old is here also, they play really well together. She goes down an hour before he does, and during that hour he plays and reads very well by himself. He sleeps 2 hours. I have it pretty easy with these two, I will admit.
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Unregistered 10:05 AM 01-06-2011
I have 2 daycare kids they are 1 years old and I have my little girl who is here all day who is 3 years old and my 2 boys are school age. We follow a rountine everyday they arrive, eat breakfest, diaper change, free play inside, lunch, diaper change, nap 2 and half hours, diaper change, snack, free play in or outside, diaper change, and home. they play and I play sometimes too.
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