Play is essential in the development of children, both shared and individual play. Just as important is that the child learns the rules of the games, to share with his peers and with other people, is that he learns to play alone. In individual play the child can explore various areas such as creativity, imagination, make their own decisions or explore their abilities without feeling observed.
That is, when a child plays, they only have to develop their imagination so that any object or toy becomes the perfect playmate. However, some children do not want to play alone and prefer to have someone else's company at all times. If your child does not play alone, you can try some guidelines to help you find the fun in individual play.
But you may wonder why your child does not play alone and the answer, although somewhat ironic, is that the child does not know how to play alone because he needs to be taught to do so. Because children are often expected to develop a sense of play by natureBut learning to use objects or your own imagination takes time. Children are not born knowing, they have to learn everything, including developing their skills.
My child does not play alone, what is the cause?
Children often do not want play solo because they confuse what it is to play alone with being alone. That is to say, it is one thing that the child has the ability to take his toys and have fun at times alone, in the living room, close to the rest of the family. Another very different thing is that the child has to go to his room to play, which means being alone.
This is the main cause of children avoiding playing alone. Children need to feel cared for, They need a person to be close to them, to transmit peace of mind and know that if something happens, they will be protected. When they have to go to their room to play alone, even if the distance is minimal, they feel apart. For that reason they use excuses such as that they do not know how to play alone.
On the other hand, it is important that the individual game is a complement to other types of games. Although parents use that time to be able to do other things, it cannot be expected that the child always plays just to have free time. It is necessary to dedicate a daily time to play with the children, without other distractions, without the television or the mobile phone nearby. A balance must be found so that the child feels recognized.
How to stimulate individual play
If you want your child to play alone, you should offer tools so that he learns that spending time alone is also fun. Create a space where the child can play, it is not necessary for toys to invade the living room. You only need a small corner, a box with toys, stories, paintings and other games that do nothing. That is, materials that invite the child to develop their creativity.
Be careful with the rules, if you want your child to play you just have to let him choose how he wants to do it. Do not criticize his game, or try to direct him to go the way you want. All those rules and that control make the child feel insecure. Let him explore his imagination and develop his creativity, you will surely be surprised. You can also start a game in parallel, if your child starts to make a tower with blocks, you can make your own construction.
Play with your child every day, it doesn't take more than 20 or 30 minutes a day for the child to feel that they have your attention. Because when this does not happen, the normal thing is that the child looks for you constantly and requires you for whatever you want to do. Individual time is necessary, both for children and adults. Learning to spend time alone is also part of development.