How does your child play??

[mlb1234]

It sounds weird but do/did your kids play with toys when they were 1y old??  My dd is 13 months and she really has no interest in toys.  She only likes dolls, clothes, books and our dog.  It seems like she will just imitate what she learns from us (pretending to put clothes on, brush the dog, etc) and since we don't play with toys - she doesn't "get" them.  I was just wondering if anyone elses kids were like this at that age.  Is it just a girl thing??  Or maybe is she just mature??  I just feel like she is missing out on some fun even though she seems to have fun doing her little things too.

[montie2]

I'm not sure if I can help but I'll let you know what Rhett loves. He loves phones, and real phones, not toy phones. He loves to dig stuff out of the cupboards, laundry, trash, you name it.  He loves to throw stuff into the tub or throw stuff out of the tub. Basically, he loves to throw stuff.  The only toy that he has really shown much interest in is a mirror that sings and plays music.  He loves to sit at his little desk and then knock it over.  He is way more interested in moving, exploring, climbing, etc.  If the toy is something that is good to chew on, then great!  Other than that, not too much interest.  Oh, his favorite thing, a pink highlighter. He carrys it around in his mouth, it looks like he has a cigar.  We are planning the big b'day celebration on Saturday.  I'm sad.  It's gone by too fast.

[Angelinthemorning]

She sounds alot like our oldest daughter (now 2yr).  She never played with toys.  But, loved to brush mommy's hair, "read" books, "dust" the furniture, etc.  Anything I did she had to do it also.  She's the same way now and is actually a big help.  After I fold laundry she goes and puts all hers up!!  I'm happy to say she has a huge vocabulary, most people thinks she's 3 b/c they can understand everything she says.  And she's way ahead on all the milestones.  
So, in my experience your daughter sounds just fine.  

[AnnieBrooke]

There are so many stories out there about kids loving the vacuum cleaner and the pots and pans cupboard far more than the toys they have been given, and of course the classic is the gift that comes in a box, and the kid ignores the gift and plays with the box (or the gift wrap) for hours.  I'm sure she's fine.  A toy is anything a child thinks is a toy, and at 13 months, children don't really sit down and play with things for hours at a time anyway.  

One thing you will notice over the next months is that some toys will become more fun to her as she grows into the age range the toy was designed for.  They aren't kidding when they write those age ranges, it doesn't have to do with lawsuits or even with the child being bright, it has more to do with their developmental age and the interests that go along with it.  My son grew into a lot of toys he had been given as gifts by friends who paid scant attention to the intended age.  I know he's pretty smart, so expected him to play with them earlier than marked on the box, and some he did, but a lot he just ignored.  Then just when I would be about to give the toy to charity thinking it was a dud, ding-****! the light would go on for him and he would play with the toy a lot.  Whether or not a toy hits seems to have to do with the emotional interests and capabilities of toddlers, I think, not intellectual capacity.  Just a guess.  But I have been surprised over and over to see him warm up to something that I thought wasn't ever going to interest him.

[AnnieBrooke]

Oh, I see I should have said "ding-ding! the light would go on" instead of having the word after the hyphen have an "o" in it.   That naughty-words software sure is sensitive.  LOL

[mum2beagain]

Perfectly normal, imitating mommy and daddy is exaclty what a young child should be doing. Play with the toys with her, show her how they work and what to do with them, somethings will hold her interest others may not. Like Anniebrooke said some toys you may think she will never be interested in them and one day they will be a big hit. It works the other way too; a child may have a favorite toy that all of a sudden they are no longer interested in.

[mlb1234]

I do try to show her toys but she always goes back to her favs.  It doesn't bother me - I think it is cute.  It became obvious to me in her early childhood class - I noticed that she is the "observer" while all the other kids are playing with the toys.  She likes to watch what they are doing but not actually play with the toys.  Then I realized she pretty much does the same thing at home - no toys.  I was just curious if other people had the same experience.
Angel - your dd and mine do sound a lot a like!!  Boy I *hope* she is as helpful as yours when she is bigger!!  That would be nice!!! :)

[pcarsey]

Brayden isn't 1 yet (only 9 1/2 months) but his favorite "thing" to play with is a sting. Usually the strings on my PJ's will keep him occupied for hours if I let him. I actually tied one onto his jumperoo and he will sit there forever trying to put the ends of the strings together..lol He also likes boxes!