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Spontanious play or organised activities?

BeebeeBeebee
in Toddler
My 13 month old son goes to a childminder & at least 3 times per wekk they go to an organised play group but when at home I have never taken him anywhere like that or organised activities for him.

As a working mum, who works full time from home, when he is here, he has to amuse himself. After I have collected him from cm he has to basically get on with his own amusment as I am busy finishing up my work day, preparing dinner, unpacking his lunch bag & generally pottering/housework which means I have no time to sit & amuse him myself.

IMO, this "being ignored" as some may call it, has taught him that he has to keep himself busy so he now plays happily alone, using anything in the house as a toy or game & I can comfrtably leave him in another room without worrying what he is up to. Nothing (apart from cables, plug sockets or things that can kill him image which are all covered, hidden & out of sight) are off limits, he can climb, touch, bang, play or throw around anything in this house as we have basically removed anything of any value, danger or delicacy. image During the day the house is like a playpen, toys & pillow on the floor that I only tidy up once he is in bed at 7.30pm.

At the weekend, we did our garden after weeks of neglect & he spent 3 hours out there rolling in piles of grass cuttings, kicking a football around, talking to bits of twig & seeing what various garden things taste like. image He was happy as anything & as we didn't need to do anything except keep him away from the lawnmower, managed to get the garden done in good time.

So my question is, do you prefer organised, structured play or my methoid of letting them get on with it ??

I personally beleive that just letting them get on with it encouragues their imagination to take over & I remember myself from childhood that the best games were the ones made up from scratch involving various household objects, the occasional pet (like dressing up the dog like a baby & taking him for walks in a pram!) & hours & hours of plot changes & twists & turns being the most fun. I dont' ever remember having to sit nicely & do a planned activity so want my son to hav that kind of childhood too image

[Modified by: Beebee on 26 June 2008 09:30:25 ]

Replies

  • EnglebertW_nkfaceEnglebertW_nkface
    We do both. I am a stay at home mum so I have more time spare than you probably do lol. We go to a couple of organised activitys a weeks, normally we go out some where in the morning and then play at home in the afternoon. Millie is quite happy to play by herself if I am busy, or else we do painting or colouring etc together. We use our second downstairs room as a playroom and we have a big hall so Millie has the run of those all day, I sometimes tidy up a bit while she is asleep at lunch time if she has been particularly messy, otherwise like you, it gets tidied up at bed time!
    xx
  • siandsiand Regular
    i think you do need both, connor has been going to playschool twice a week since last sept, he was 2 1/2 and when he started he was a nightmare at sitting still for registration and story time. at home there is no real structure, like you our home is there play ground. i really struggle to get him to sit nicely at the table to eat for more that 2 sec's but hes great at school, eats so much more there because he excepts ther rules more. had he not had any structure from play school he would be a handfull when he starts big school. i think they need to learn as many skills as you can offer them. and him getting it there means i dont have to do so much of it at home. i have been looking around playschools recently as ours was in danger of closing down. apparently the rules have been changed in child care and now children are only suppost to have 20% structure, but some pre schools seem to take that as you leave them alone and dont even motivate them, some of the kids look life less. like everything its finding a carefull balance that right for your family
  • BeebeeBeebee
    Yeah, I'm sure if I was at home I would have more time for sitting down & playing with him & we do get times where I play one on one with him with his cars or rolling a ball etc but I think I meant more, set activity groups & such.

    I know one mum with a 3 year old & every second of every day is planned out for her. She has dancing, french (and they arne't even french!) tumble tots, music group to name but a few, every day of the week after first attending a local play group. The poor girl has no time to just run around & her mum really beleives that unless she is cramming her with activities that she is somehow missing out.

    The poor child is even woken up from naps to go to a group if she dares fall asleep when she is supposed to be at one & mum spends half her life in the car driving her from one activity to another rather than scrapping some & letting the girl just play on the floor with a washing up bowl & wooden spoon. (one of sonnys fav toys at the mo whilst sitting in the dishwasher image )

    I think there is benefit in both styles but that there has to be a balance between the two. The fact that his cm takes him to 3-4 playgroups a week means the pressure is off me to give him much structre so he gets to enjoy doing his own thing at home image
  • BeebeeBeebee
    I was typing my reply siandonna whilst you were typing yours but looks like we agree on the need of a balance.

    It's a good point too about them learnig structure & rules before big school, something I hadn't really thought about. image
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