What makes him tick???

[jadylady]

I really hate all the people who think being a stay at home mom is like having a vacation. HOW could anybody think that? The thing about working as a stay at home mom, is that your job is constantly changing and once you think you've got it down, something happens that just makes you question everything. At least this is what it's done to me.

Maddox loves to play outside. He likes to explore the grass and the flowers(weeds) and play in the dirt. We finally got our fence built, and now that he's allowed to go outside anytime he wants, of course he doesn't want to. When he goes outside with me to play, he just starts crying. What?
Naturally, I try to encourage him to play with his toys or play with me, but that just sends him over the edge into a tantrum. So in the end I give up, we go back inside, and watch a movie.

I'm pretty sure that he's just bored. He doesn't seem to want to do much of anything. Except watch movies of course. Maybe this is why they tell you to not let your kids watch TV before the age of 2. Because by the time they've reached age 2, they're already interested in playing with their toys and exploring outside. Who knows what goes on in their heads.

All I know is that I'm frustrated. I really don't know what else to do. We go for walks pretty often, and he goes to play at the park on those days. He gets to see other children playing. He plays with paint and playdoh, and all that fun stuff. Maybe this is just a hard age, and I need to let him just do his thing. But I can't see him just wanting to do something on his own. He doesn't ask me to play with playdoh, or go outside. He just gets into the movie cupboard and pulls out movies to see which one he wants to watch. And then I feel like a bad mother and that I don't engage with him enough, because the only thing we did all day is watch movies and eat.
Is it normal for toddlers to go through the phase of wanting to do nothing?

[MSugarKane]

Sep. 2, 2009 at 8:34 AM

Oh! The TV is broken!!!  Pull the plug. 

Yes, these little ones are very controlling and very demanding, especially for what they want, when they want it.

Teaching a child to play is pretty exhausting work!  But in the end will give you some time for yourself when they figure out they have to entertain themselves.

The TV is a fixation.  It thinks for the child and the child doesn't have to use his or her imagination.  Thats why they prefer to sit and watch it all day.  Using thier brains is harder work for them.

The children I nanny for , I would say almost all of them are addicted to TV.  Thats all they talk about.  All they know about.   When they are here with me the TV is off. Not only does it lower the noise level in the house but forces them to P L  A Y~!   I had two children here this summer ages 3 and 6.   They would rather be in time outs then told to GO PLAY!   They did learn to play by the end of the summer here. And they had a lot of fun! 

So keep on plugging.  Be inventive with the child, get the child to learn how to play even if it means your right in there playing too.