Your little one won’t interact with his peers? Encourage his participation with these tips from DR RICHARD C. WOOLFSON.
Age by stage 1 year
Your little one won’t interact with his peers? Encourage his participation with these tips from DR RICHARD C. WOOLFSON.
You signed your toddler up for a playgroup but, instead of taking part in the activities, he prefers to wander around the room and do his own thing. He refuses to get involved and you can’t get a refund for backing out of the programme. While it’s natural to feel frustrated, your concerns may be premature. Bear in mind that the ability to play with others develops gradually. Children go through three stages:
• Solitary play For the first year of his life, your infant plays on his own. He prefers that you to sit beside him, of course, but he will watch other kids from a distance.
• Parallel play Between one and two years old, his interest in his peers increases, although he is not yet ready to play with them. As a result, he likes to be in the company of others, and he plays beside them.
• Cooperative play emerges from the age of 18 months. Junior now wants to interact with his peers, even though he lacks the necessary social skills.
So it could be that your toddler simply isn’t ready to participate in the class activities. You might be expecting too much from him at the moment. He needs to develop at his own pace. Keep taking him to the playgroup every week – chances are, his social skills will improve spontaneously in the coming months. In the meantime, encourage him in these ways:
Show him how to share One-year-olds don’t usually like sharing their belongings because they are afraid they won’t get the items back. Sit with your young child and encourage him to hand one of the toys to another kid. He might not like this at first, but persist until he gets used to it.
Direct him to group play Some toys are more suitable for children to play with together, such as a ball or a pretend tea set; while others, like a puzzle, are great for independent play. Steer your toddler towards items that he can easily involve others with.
Identify a playmate After a few sessions, you’ll have identified one or two kids whom you think could be a suitable playmate – perhaps because they have similar personalities or play interests. Try to engage them by choosing a toy that interests both of them.
Speak to other parents Most worry about their child not taking part in the class, too. You can work together with another mum to encourage both your kids to play together.
Give him time to change Don’t rush things. Over the next few sessions, you’ll find him becoming more involved gradually, with your encouragement. When that happens, give your toddler lots of praise, and tell him how pleased you are that he is having fun with other children.
Most parents worry about their child not taking part in the class, too. Work together with another mum to encourage both your kids to play together.
