Question
I have read your articles about parenting only children and my husband and I agree with the idea that our 5 year old son should not be an extension of our marriage but an individual member of our family. I would like my son to be able to spend longer stretches of time playing independently. He is a very talkative and extroverted boy who loves spending time with people He goes to preschool and attends karate classes and I feel he has adequate time to play with his peers. I want to teach him to play by himself without feeling an overwhelming urge to turn on the television for him every time he approaches me asking "what can I do?" My question for you is how long should I expect him to play on his own, and is there a systematic way you can suggest I go about doing that?
