Not Wanting to Play

They are really too young to successfully wrestle without supervision. Teaching both children how to balance out the playing time would be the optimal situation. Perhaps they would do better with age appropriate action figures or trucks. Perhaps there is a fitness video they can both work on instead of having them wrestle.

Ultimately you set the stage and rules of engagement in your home. Ask the other boy if he no longer wants to come to your home because sometimes it could boil down to this. Also your son will have to learn how to deal with disappointments and so will the other little boy. Perhaps talking with the other mom to see what she suggests will also be helpful.

I hope this situation works itself out because it sounds like the other kid is trying to run and rule over your boy and that shouldn't be allowed to continue.

Who says they have to play together? Can't they do their own things? I don't think kids should be forced to play together if they don't want to, personally. I like the ideas about organized activities.

I feel bad for your son because this neighbor boy has to be at your house (you are babysitting) and his actions hurt your son's feelings. You can't leave the situation, like you could if you were just out socializing with them, and your son is stuck. They are only 2.5, very young to be learning about friendships and feelings. I think you need to have a talk with his mother. Tell him your son feels sad hers is very vocal about not wanting to play anymore. Tell her you don't know the reason, and you respect that it is OK if her son doesn't want to be friends or play with yours for whatever reason, but since you are watching him, your son can't escape the rejection. Maybe she could talk to him and things will improve. If that does not work, I would stop watching her kids because it's not fair to your son. Good luck, it could be something simple that's bothering the other little boy and a talk with his Mom might be a good way to get to the solution.

My first thought is stop the roughousing. I know it's hard with boys, but either they're going to get hurt or they're going to break something. And I also don't think aggressive play is beneficial - just my opinion.

I go more for organized activities such as arts and crafts, legos, race cars, etc. So,. maybe you can get your little guy interested in something else in the mornings until the other little boy is ready to play. But again, I would have them playing organized things, not roughhousing.

My boys are tough in the morning it is really just quiet time at my house in the morning because neither one speaks for a good 45 minutes after waking up. Maybe you could do some sort of "quiet time" in the morning until the other one wakes up coloring books, reading, puzzles or something that they would both enjoy but gives them a warming/waking up period. As for the rough play at 2.5 it hard to have a full conversation about it but maybe you could just let them know that if you are going to rough house there are going to be rules. I dont know the best way to handle that mine go from not speaking to a thousand miles an hour in under a minute.

Have you tried organized activities? Now its playdough time, now it's block time and sit and play with them? then a craft time... then a story time? get them in the habit of doing these things and then as they get older they may be able to play more without you.

It sounds to me like something is happening with the little boy, and he is not sure how to deal with it. Maybe things are a little bit out of control in other areas of his life, so he's trying to exert control at your house. Maybe there is or will be a big life change coming up. Maybe he's still getting used to the idea of his sister being around. Or he likes the attention that he's getting. Or he hasn't gotten a full night of sleep because he wakes up when his sister does.

Whatever the reason, the child has to stop. Right now you are working with the neighbor boy to make sure he's comfortable and okay. He is setting the rules. Please change that. If your son does something that the other JUST DID, and he gets 'upset' and 'hurt', then tell him it's clear he needs a time out. Whenever he is manipulating or setting arbitrary rules, he needs a time out... not because he's being naughty, but because he's not ready to play. When he is ready to play, then he may come out of time out.

Both of my boys went through phases like this. It took me a while to come up with that solution, but it did work for us. And by the way... my boys are 5, 3, and my daughter is 16 months. Roughhousing is how boys express themselves... don't worry about what the other posters are saying!