I left Bridger by himself to play in his room -- well, I wish he would play. More appropriately said, I left him alone in his room in front of some buckets of toys.
Independent play still isn't a *skill* he has gained yet. We are having to teach Bridger how to initiate and play with toys. I hope he learns soon, because to tend to him 24/7 is exhausting and unnatural. You tend to babies every minute of the day (luckily, they nap, so that provides a break.) Young toddlers -- they start to have 10-15 minutes here and there that they will occupy themselves. By the time my kids were 4 and 5, leave them with a room full of toys and you wouldn't hear a peep for hours. To have a nearly 8 year old still needing me every minute is not my preference.
We are teaching him how to have an interest in that bucket of Duplos - which he can't quite stack. We are teaching him to maneuver those Fisher Price Little People - which he can't make stand up with his shaky hands. We are teaching him how to look through a picture book - even though he can't really turn the pages.
Sometimes, I just have to step away and leave him to reconcile his own boredom {manifest as screaming} so I can go face that ever mounting pile of laundry.
Which I did on Friday.
I returned to his unnaturally quiet room to find this. . .
.JPG)
I guess if you can't play with toys and you don't have the ability to climb into your bed, you find the next best thing.
What is good enough for his dog is apparently good enough for him.
I tiptoed out and let the sleeping dog lie and conquered that laundry pile.