I am not sure how I would get things done if it wasn't for independent playtime. For us, independent playtime is 30 minutes usually twice a day that Calan plays by himself in his pack 'n play away from us. During those 30 minutes, he plays, giggles, and explores all by himself, and for me, those 30 minutes are priceless.
When I first heard about independent playtime, I wasn't sure how important it was for us to do, but then I found out I was pregnant and I realized just how important this time would be for us and my sanity. Doing independent playtime now, sets up a few things for Calan and I later. First it gets Calan use to not seeing me for a set time during the day. Therefore when his little sister gets here, it won't be too much of a shock for him if I have to step away for a little bit or if I need him to play by himself for a little bit. Second, it allows me another hour in the day to get somethings around the house done and even time to shower. Calan is a pretty light sleeper and the bathroom is right next to his bedroom. While sometimes he sleeps through me showering, more times than not it can ruin a good nap. Vacuuming is another chore that I can get done while Calan is awake and playing happily.
Some keys to having successful independent playtime is first to have it in an area of your home where your child won't see you. For us, we have Calan's pack 'n play set up in our dining room. It gets a ton of natural light in there and is a room that I can peak in on him without him being able to see me. I can clean, cook, or even shower with being able to hear him clearly. If your child can see you, they will want you to play with them, which one isn't fair to the baby and two defeats the whole purpose.
Another tip is to have toys that are age appropriate and that are special to that time. You don't want something that is too difficult that will frustrate them or too easy that they will get bored. I have toys that I route in and change it up. Usually the toy mix includes some kind of stuff animal, mirror, blocks, and a soft book.
Next, you want to make sure that the playtime is on purpose. By that I mean, either it is a regularly scheduled event in your day or that you are doing it on some kind of regular basis. Independent playtime isn't a free babysitter if you know what I mean. I usually do playtime sometime after breakfast and again after lunch. I try and stay consistent so that he knows what to expect. I also keep his playtime to no more than 45 minutes at a time. This way he knows that there is a set time that I will be coming back. It is kind of funny how almost exactly at the 30-minute mark, he starts to make his "I'm done playing and ready for you" noise.
I started independent playtime when Calan was about 4 months old. It took a few times for him to understand what was going on. At first, I only would be able to get him to play for about 10 minutes before he started to fuss. We had to build up to 30 minutes. So don't be surprised if it takes a little while and your child doesn't take to it right away. Like anything, consistency is key. But don't force too much too soon. Take it slow. You want this time to be enjoyable not a miserable experience.
One of my concerns when we first started was whether or not Calan would still sleep in his pack 'n play when we needed him to. I am happy to report that this has never been an issue. He some how understands when it's time to play in there and when it is time to sleep.
If you want to learn more about independent playtime, Chronicles of a Babywise Mom has done a lot of blogs on how to use independent playtime correctly and how beneficial it is for you and your baby.
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