https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:23:59 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2023974 Wed, 14 Jan 2015 17:11:46 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2023974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sit on he floor a lot. But he's just started crawling and pulling up all the time... So he doesn't want to play he just crawls away and stands somewhere. He literally hates all toys now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020999 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 19:29:43 +0000 lemondrop 2020999@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: LOL, yes, this! I'm only allowed to assist him when requested- he is quite independent. </p> <p>I really should do more, but it depends on the day with work and other activities. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020951 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 18:38:15 +0000 littlejoy 2020951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is usually up 9-12 hours per day. Some of that is eating and errands, and we play with her the rest of the time. Lately though, she just crawls around trying to escape through our baby gates and room blockers. It's a real party. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020871 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 17:35:57 +0000 youboots 2020871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: I die. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020861 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 17:22:58 +0000 erinpye 2020861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used to spend a lot. Lately, not as much as I should. I really get bored...is that bad to say? I love my kids and love being with them, but also let them watch shows and play on their own often. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020595 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:41:19 +0000 artsyfartsy 2020595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: Haha yes this. Even if I'm not playing along or on my phone even, I'm usually sitting next to him. He can sit great now but even lately he's still fallen straight backwards at times and hit his head. So I don't feel comfortable leaving him sitting alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020592 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:40:19 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 2020592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>a lot. I spend most of my day on the floor with them. I kind wish I had a nanny cam because it would be pretty funny to look back on my day and see how many hours I spent on the floor.</p> <p>obviously I have moments where I need to just sit and put on a show for them, or if I have to cook/clean/etc. but I make a an effort to spend most of my time interacting with them. (reading books, building blocks, in the tent with them, playing soccer in the yard, etc.)</p> <p>ETA: Usually first thing in the morning they watch shows while I cook breakfast, check e-mails, etc. I am the kind of person who needs to "wake up" before I have the energy to play. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020583 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:36:13 +0000 edelweiss 2020583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>when LO is at home (we both WOHM), he specifically asks to play with us about 30% of the time. otherwise he's amusing himself, but we do have to be with him 95% of the time to make sure he isn't destroying anything or hurting himself. he's 2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020576 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:32:58 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 2020576@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure. It's a lot though. She's always in the same room as I am and we are usually talking or playing or she's "helping" me. She does do tthings independently but we are almost always in the same room </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020575 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:32:51 +0000 Greentea 2020575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pretty much the entire day. Sometimes I am just near her while I am cooking or cleaning, but even then she is "helping" me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020568 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:30:10 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 2020568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: this. At 16 months I still only sit on the couch to fold laundry. I'm nearing the 3rd trimester so if I HAVE to sit on the couch, she usually ends up there with me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020559 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:27:57 +0000 psw27 2020559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Usually about 1/2 hour to an hour in the morning before daycare and then about 1/2 an hour before we start bedtime routine. Sigh. Working sucks sometimes.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020556 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:27:23 +0000 LuLu Mom 2020556@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@petunia354: Agreed, every couple days I hear DH under his breathe go "why don't you ever ask your mom?" She always chooses to want to play with him during a "big game" that he's watching and she does not take no for an answer! She's a woman who knows what she wants :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020555 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:27:22 +0000 psw27 2020555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@CakeLady: Ditto on the putting iphone down... Its so hard when they are bopping around in the jumperoo to sit there and stay engaged and not end up scrolling through instagram. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020526 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:19:49 +0000 CakeLady 2020526@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Since I WOH and only see DS for a few hours a day during the week, I play with him as much as possible. That probably amounts to about an hour on week days and several hours on the weekends. One of my new year's resolutions is to put my phone away when I am with DS, so I can be more present and engaged. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020523 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:19:12 +0000 rachiecakes 2020523@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Depends on the day.<br /> During the work week I pretty much spend all of my hours that I'm home after work with J. Making dinner together, reading, playing cards, bath, etc.<br /> During the weekend, he definitely gets a lot of independent play time. This weekend I had to finish putting together his room and taking down all the holiday stuff (our first weekend home since the holidays!). He was pretty good but I feel guilty today that we didn't get as much time together. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020521 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:16:37 +0000 petunia354 2020521@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LuLu Mom: Ha, yeah, if you asked my DH the same question his answer would be very different. He is totally the preferred play partner! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020512 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:13:19 +0000 artsyfartsy 2020512@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>3 hours plus? That's being in the floor actively playing toys with him or doing some play/exercise moves to help him gain some core strength. Various other times playing with him as we just go through our daily routine. if he's happy playing alone with his toys or rolling around I let him do it as long as possible. He'll start whining when he gets lonely and then we play together. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020507 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:10:21 +0000 LuLu Mom 2020507@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>E usually plays by herself pretty well (and might prefer it) otherwise she wants us to play catch or she takes our order and then makes it in her kitchen. She actually prefers to play with DH to me, she usually asks him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020503 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:08:23 +0000 Andrea 2020503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For the most part, whenever they ask or if I have something specific to do with them (read a book, do a craft, etc). The girls are mostly happy to just play with each other and don't need me. I hope that means I've done a good job making sure they can play independently of me. I don't think that equals bad mom! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020499 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:07:25 +0000 nana87 2020499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm like @Mae:, I'm basically on the floor whenever lo isn't in daycare (she's there part-day, part-week). sometimes I'm just sitting there while she's playing, but if I get up to go into the kitchen for a sec or whatever, she's off following me now that she's crawling </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020487 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:03:15 +0000 sorrycharlie 2020487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Same as @petunia354: - O really likes playing near me or alone but not always WITH me, lol. I'm hoping this works to my advantage with baby sister. I feel guilty a lot of times but she's so happy playing pretend in her own world she couldn't care less. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020479 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:01:15 +0000 Anagram 2020479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Never right now. =( I'm such a bad mom when I'm pregnant and sick. We went from a no screentime house to a screentime-the-second-we-get-home house because I lay down on the couch as soon as LO and I get home from work.</p> <p>I halfheartedly sort of play with her from the couch, or on her clingy days--every day lately--she just sits on top of me on the couch and we read books or watch Sprout.</p> <p>UGH. bad mom. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020357 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 13:22:42 +0000 Mae 2020357@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>... most of it? haha. If she's awake and not eating and not in her bouncer (she gets 20 min in it 2, maybe 3 times per day), I'm sitting on the floor with her. Although she is getting more into independent play now so if she is content playing by herself I don't bug her. But I do still sit on the floor with her because I feel badly sitting on the couch while she plays. I dunno why (I'm crazy?). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020341 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 13:18:00 +0000 blackbird 2020341@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>anywhere from 30-90 min a day. She seems to want to do a lot of independent stuff--she wants us nearby, but if we touch her puzzles of blocks, SHE WILL CUT US. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020313 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 13:08:18 +0000 Foodnerd81 2020313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It totally depends on the day and her mood. I try to really encourage independant play (ie time for me to either get stuff done or relax!). Like @petunia354: she will often sit and play by herself near me, but if I go and try to do something like clean the kitchen or whatever, she will start following me around. So I sit quietly and let her play. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020302 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 13:06:26 +0000 looch 2020302@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I for sure don't play with my son for 11 hours a day! I think there is value in learning to entertain yourself, so we do have times through out the day whene we're in the same room, but doing different things. At 4 years of age, my son is just now beginning to play alone when I am not in the room. It's a work in progress. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020299 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 13:04:15 +0000 petunia354 2020299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so bad at this and am totally guilty of sitting near him playing on my phone while he runs his train around the track or plays with his cars. I just don't have a great imagination or attention span. He's happy to play on his own for a little while but definitely prefers us to be right there with him. </p> <p>He just got into puzzles which is something we've been doing together a lot and I love reading to him but other than that I'm not very good at playing. I don't know how I'd handle being home with him all day but I agree with you that you can't play with them nonstop for 11 hours straight! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-time-do-you-spend-playing-with-your-lo#post-2020208 Mon, 12 Jan 2015 12:28:04 +0000 Bao 2020208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO1 is two and used to play alone fine until a few months ago. I love playing with her but I can't play with her 11 straight hours a day! Maybe that's just me being a bad parent, I don't know. So as of recently LO only plays alone maybe 30 minutes combined in a day, otherwise she's playing with or sitting by me. </p> <p>How much time do you spend sitting on the floor playing with your LO? Or how much time do they spend playing independently or with a sibling? </p>