Thanks for your thoughts Grinity. I can relate a lot to your story and it does help to hear this isn't unusual for a gifted only child
I went back to work when dd was 7 months old and by the time I left work to 15 months ago she was in child care 4 full days a week. When I was working I really did feel that it was important for me to spend time with her when we were home (and as you did, I loved it!), so I really made a conscious effort to do so. Of course when I left work and she started attended preschool for only a few hours a week, she didn't see any need for me to stop! I am very introverted, so while I spend a good majority of the day with her, I do need to take time out and I had done a lot of work slowly getting her to play on her own. It was going really well - until the brain spurt - though in hindsight when ever she has a brain spurt she ups the need for attention. I suspect she needs the interaction to re-map where she's at. Over the last couple of days though she has started to play less reluctantly on her own again.
She's not a kid who likes to be praised a lot (she gets visibly uncomfortable), but she is a kid who likes to be praised much as you have described; for specific instances where she has made a choice.
Will definitely check out the book.
Thanks again.
