Your opinion on letting a child entertain themselves? What age?

By the time they are old enough to sit up without support they are usually old enough to sit and play by themselves. I don't think at 6 months you should just walk away from him, but I do think you should sit next to him while he plays or sit on the couch while he's on the floor. Always be at least in his sight until he's a bit older.

Both sides have a very good point, and I think both sides can be right. Just hang out somewhere in between. There will be repercussions if you lean too much in one school of thought.

It's never too early to let your child entertain themselves. From babys on if a parent is the only provider of entertainment, children tend to be attached at the hip and school will be rough, then as teenagers rebell as they never had seperation from a parent. Also, when babys interact during play time solely with a parent they grow up trying to please the parent which creates all new problems. Let your baby learn and discover his environment with you in the background and when he starts to cry simply let him hear your voice reassuring him your there and he's ok. A couple of tries at this and he'll discover comfort in different realm beyond contact.

I think there has to be a balance of the two.My daughter is 2 years old now,and she plays well by herself,and when I am around.The thing is that when she was younger,I would stay in the room(reading the newspaper,or a book,or talking on the phone) while she played.Now that she is mobil,she will only stay in the room with me for brief moments,then she off to her room(where her things are)and plays alone for awhile.When she needs to see me or just wants toknow that I am still around,she comes to wherever I am,sometimes just long enough to see my face,then she's off again.Children don't always need to "see" that you are there,but just the sound of your voice, in another room will do.I was told that it is wise to tell a really young child that you are leaving the room,and where you will be so they don't become startled at your absence.I believe that every child is different and are ready for different things at different times.I follow my childs' lead.I pay close attention to her actions and interests,and cultivate them as they come up.Just "watch" your child,you will know when the time is right.

i believe it's a lucky child who has a parent that is willing to spend time with them playing and learning. the parent can provide a stimulating and educational play time where learning can thrive. your child is feeling loved, nurtured and secure while having you close by while he plays. children need interaction with parents as they grow. as a child gets older it is appropriate to have more alone time to explore and discover the world around them. parents can still provide an educational enviroment condusive to learning. i believe they do need to be able to play on their own so they can use their imagination too and not always be dependent on a parent for entertainment.

I would say give them a mixture of interaction and alone playtime by age three. Of course you must be nearby in case they need you. Play is the work of the child, it is how they discover the world for themselves. Their imagination will be used when they play alone, as long as you don't let them alone for too long a time.

I don't know anything about any debates but I always gave my children some alone time.... I figured that you get tired of someone being around you 24/7 so a few breaks during the day is great for everyone... I started giving my children breaks when they could roll and push up on their own... I bought a few of those infant floor mobile things they worked wonders and it allowed me some free time... You should still keep a watchful eye on them though so they don't get hurt... I hope this helps...

This is how babies are, and how my little girl was, especially. At that age, they're still pretty dependent on you, and it's important for them to know that you're there for them. I think you should spend as much time with your child as possible. In my opinion, they should be able to start playing by themselves around a year and a half or two. Six months is still way too young to leave a child alone because of choking hazards, etc. By the time they're in school and you're working all the time, you never have enough time to spend with them.

with both of my children I tried to provide a balance. time for them to play by themselves on a blanket, or in a playpen if I was cleaning the floor. At young ages, like before one year old, they will tend to cry if they cannot see you, so I tried to keep them in view at all times. Then I had times when I would play with them. the truth is kids need both, time alone and time with parents, this in the future will help with A child's ability to play on one's own, and be creative and a child's ability to have a close relationship with the parents.