Teaching Independent Play Skills: Infant

To teach an infant to play by herself:

1. Look for times when your baby is playing quietly by herself. Give her a lot of brief, nonverbal, physical contact.
2. Try to find an activity that you can do while you are also providing your infant with brief, physical contact. For example, you might read the paper or a magazine or do paper work.
3. Learn to discipline yourself to provide the physical contact while you are engaged in a productive activity.
4. Over time, perhaps 2 to 4 weeks, gradually begin to touch your infant less often during your activities. The changes in frequency should be very small so that your infant never notices them. Although you want to decrease the number of times you touch your child while she is engaged in an activity, do not stop the touching. Just decrease it to more normal levels.

In this way your infant will have the enjoyment of playing alone and affection from you during your activities.