Bright 22 month old needs more to do

[looseleaf]

This isn't strictly 'gifted and talented' but we have a bright 22 month old who is no longer enjoying playgroup but I still need inexpensive activities to take him to as getting exhausted keeping up with talking to him at home- he wants to be read to constantly, doesn't enjoy the simpler books/ nursery rhymes at playgroup (cries out i don't like it- as they're not introducing new ideas), he asks what words are and recognises many (I'm delighted as from a family of bookworms/ publishers) but I just don't know who else he can talk to to get him out of our tiny flat as he doesn't sleep much and I'm physically tired.


I thought of talking to the playgroup helpers who kindly ask him if he knows what a duck is but it sounds so pretentious to say he's not interested when they're just being kind. and i cant really say to someone in RL that he'd rather be telling them about toucans, scorpions, Asia etc. The other night he asked me the capital of Bulgaria(!) as DH taught him most capital cities once he'd asked us what the countries were on DD's map and learnt every one (she's 6 and meanwhile finding schoolwork a challenge!)
One of the lovely ladies knows him better and said she hasn't seen a child like him and suggested he'd get a bursary to a private school ( not sure they exist at primary!) And he enjoys the painting at any rate.

He enjoys older children/ people but his sister and his main friend (an 8 year old we know well) are at school and mornings are when he's needs more activity. The park is good but we aren't that near one so it's a bit lonely just him and I again...
We do swimming once a week which is good (though he doesn't like it!)
There are football/ music clubs but these would be expensive too.
We're at the library twice a week or so which is our lifeline but no rest or social side!
We already have 2 pets but he's a bit young to be sensible with them.
Is there anything I'm overlooking? Maybe I should see if there's a retirement home or somewhere we could visit I just need someone else who will get to 'know' him for who he is (he looks very babyish so always underestimated; though a lady in Tesco roared with laughter as overheard him say 'I need coffee actually' as we passed the hot drinks aisle!)

[looseleaf]

Ps or maybe there's nothing wrong with being a bit bored for part of the day ? I don't have help except when DH home but just feel a bit bad for DS really and once DD is home I concentrate mainly on her as she needs support with homework etc

[galwaygirl]

Do you do jigsaws? Apparently these see to keep me occupied and once I'd finished I could move on to doing them upside down. Obviously I mean ones for older kids!

[Viewofthehills]

Go for walks- spot different car badges, shapes and colours.

Get duplo, pegs, large buttons, small toy cars. Group items by size, colour, odd and even numbers. Sort out the tin cupboard.

Put the kitchen chairs in a row and play trains or buses. Talk about the journey, where you'd like to go. Or play hospitals, doctors, schools.

Weigh out ingredients and make bread or cake. Talk about how it rises.

Mix paint and see what colours you can make.

And don't entertain him all the time, he has to learn to occupy himself too.

[looseleaf]

Thank you! I think I probably do too much entertaining but he largely ignores toys (maybe I should organise them so they are more accessible at least) and he makes a real mess getting pans out in the kitchen all the time instead. We do cook but there's so much cooking (our DC can't eat wheat or dairy) that I probably rush too much / don't let him do much.

I love the idea of imaginary games- he often says he's off to the shops and i play along with it but a train ride would be just up his street. He loves trains but it would become an expensive hobby if we sat on real ones just as a hobby!!

I haven't tried jigsaws as I don't think he's ready but I might be wrong if I sit and help him at first.

I sometimes wish we all lived in a big commune as easy to feel a bit isolated and yet so busy coping too that hard to have friends over though we do a fair bit.

We do paint 2 or 3 times a week but again I find it just another layer of clearing up to do after as he barely naps!

[Iluvportobay]

Reading your message brought back some of the frustrations I had when I felt I had turned in to a full time entertainer and we had to take out midday naps at this stage, as DS would not sleep at night.

Around this time DS played with plasticine/playdough every day - potentially messy I know, he had his own Ikea kids table with plastic on top and that sat on plastic too! He had shape cutters and learnt all his shapes and colours and also created animals both real and imaginary. He also had one of those mats that you can write/draw on with special pens and then it all disappears when it dries, that kept him entertained for hours. We had a railway bridge near us and we went most days to watch the trains - he loved telling me where he thought they were going to - we would also do the same with planes. We went to the playground so he could expend some energy very often and also long walks from around 2. DS hated the buggy and rarely tired of walking/running. He also loved jigsaws and lego/duplo. I worked hard on getting him to play independently (although he may have been a bit older than your DS) and he would often act out the places we had visited or books we had read together. He would build museums/parks/aquariums/Zoos/farms and act out 'the 3 little pigs', snow white or whatever. As we are city dwellers (trains are cheaper round here), we would often take trips on trains, just for the journey and every train became a character from thomas and friends, cranky, daisy etc and every station master the fat controller! Unfortunately he knew the routes too well and would keep fellow passengers entertained by listing off all the stations and potential changes en route.

When I needed 'down time' he would watch jolly phonics DVDs, which he loved and things like basic french from the ELC - I had the additional problem that he did not like TV! I also chose games where I could relax like doctors and nurses - of course I was always the patient! I did do classes like gymboree but he was far too wilful and independent and wanted to do his own thing - which had me very worried for a while.

Several years on, he is very' bright' (oh how I hate that word) well adjusted, sociable and has calmed down a lot - these days he even gets tired!

This phase will pass - try and enjoy it while it lasts!

[BlackeyedSusan]

when recognising words, does he learn by sight? you could try teching him phonics, playing i spy etc. dd was whole word reader, took ages to get her to sound stuff out.

plydough letterrs and numbers.

"shops" is ideal, lots of numbers and counting, and what is one more or less.

[forevergreek]

I would still take him tbh. Our eldest is 3 and v smart, can do xyz, blah blah, however he still like Duplo and putting doll to sleep/ around in pram like any other his age.

He can tell you how a car motor works, but that doesn't stop him riding around on a trike or plastic toy car. He's still only 3.

I would say at 22 months he is fine to spend plenty of time 'bored', and actually needs to learn to. I'm sure you still like a song from 20 years ago and know all the lyrics, why can't he like a nursery rhyme as he knows it.

[looseleaf]

Thank you for all the lovely ideas. Today I took him to a school service and 3 hours with sand in the park and we were fine/ had a break from me feeling I need to talk constantly but I think I'd cope much better if had uninterrupted sleep!
Forevergreek the nursery rhymes are the same at least 4x a week as swimming class has the same ones too - zoom zoom and wheels on the bus / 5 monkeys on the bed and we're both just tiring of the repetion I guess. But yes it's not the end of the world!

[ItsOkayItsJustMyBreath]

I would second the idea of puzzles. DS is 2.3 and will spend a good 30 minutes doing jigsaws ON HIS OWN now. I also think it is good for children to learn how to entertain themselves from an early age, it is a good thing for their imagination to be allowed to grow. As long as he has access to things that he likes then sit down with a cuppa and tell him you're having a rest. DS knows that if I have a hot drink in my hands then I am not available.

Re the bursary for private prep school; they are available in some schools.

[AprilFoolishness]

You have a 22mo who knows the capital of Bulgaria?

[VinegarDrinker]

Yy to jigsaws, they keep DS (2y3m) occupied for ages, he's loved them since 18 months or so.

If he's interested in numbers and letters get some magnetic ones and he'll quickly pick them up (if he hasn't already?)

Also yy to cooking with them, we do loads of weighing, chopping, washing veg, peeling things, stirring etc together. It certainly isn't the quickest or tidiest way to cook but DS absolutely loves it.

Lots of playdough here too, we make it and he gets to choose the colours, whether to add glitter or spices or whatever.

I do feel for you, it's great having a very verbal bright toddler but I often feel exhausted with the constant answering of questions, and mine goes to nursery 3 days a week!

[RedHelenB]

Where's the imaginative play in all this? All 3 of mine could amuse themselves with this, prattle on for hours.

[bigTillyMint]

What about a toy train set that he can make different track patterns with. And Duplo.

Do you meet up with other toddlers at all? That's what kept mine quiet at that age!

[lostintoys]

We did lots of singing and making music, and jigsaws were a godsend from 18 months onwards.

[BlissfullyIgnorant]

If he likes words, how about a very simple exercise book? One of those they use for 4 yr olds? (Key stage 1?) Simple and easy with letters he can write in the gaps of words like 'cat'...DS could read at 3 - his Montessori teacher tested him and agreed he was reading so they gave him some exercises to do. He loved it. Don't rush it though - take it easy and let him take it at his own pace.