What To Do With The Child That Won't Play

[SilverSabre25]

My newest dcg, who is, thankfully, finally settled in, doesn't play. She spends 85% of playtime wandering around putting things in her mouth, picking up specks of crud off the floor (I vacuum every day, but she finds the least little thing) to stick in her mouth, touching things she's not supposed to, and generally being a bit of a pest. It's like she doesn't know how to play. She drives me nuts with constantly trying to correct her, she drives the other kids nuts by constantly messing with what they're doing, and any attempt to engage her in play fails. I've never met a child who didn't know how to play and I'm at a total loss here.

edited to add: she's 14 months

[melskids]

at 14 months she's still pretty young. you may have to "model" how to play for a while. i also have a seperate play area for little ones so they dont bother the older children. would you have the space to do that? maybe just section off a little area with toys just for him.

[TSDaycare]

I had a similar situation with a child of mine, she was like that up until about 16-17 months. She is now 22 months and has finally grown out of it. She also was a horrible napper! She is only with me part time-which I dreaded her being there on the days she was-I couldnt imagine her being there 5 days a week, but now seems to be a piece of cake. She has matured more and is so much easier to care for now-so hopefully you will get just as lucky and she may grow out of it. I would have to agree with the other post though and make some space for her where she has a few things to play with and cant get in to anything. It will help keep you sane....

[countrymom]

I watched a child who was 5 and she didn't know how to play, omg it was awful. So one day I asked her what does she do all day home with her mom, her response, "my mom plays with me all day" this girl literally didn't know how to do anything by herself, not even color a page, her mom did everything for her or with her. But I wouldn't worry to much, your dck seems young enough to grew out of it.