Is it possible for you to get a nanny/mother's helper for a few hours each week if not each day? That way you can focus on your business or whatever else you have and your dd can still do the things you list such as going to the park. Also, one thing that works for me is to let my dd lead some activities but make her follow activities that are led by me. So for example I will say to her," okay, I will read these three books but after that you are going to help me make dinner or clean up or fold laundry because mommy need help and you are the best helper i have." she gets really excited that she has responsibilities. Maybe you could also look into a daycare/preschool for a couple a half days a week so she not only gets to do some fun stuff but also learn how to self entertain.
Unfortunately, we have a negative budget right now for any sort of daycare and her separation anxiety is still pretty bad. We do one day a week to a homeschool coop and we hang out in the daycare room and then go to the park. I also try to visit my mom once a week and DD likes that.
I definitely do that method when I need to cook or when it is time for bed, but I find it more difficult to do that when I'd like to do some work, or even just get a break and come on here or fb. TV is the only activity she'll do alone.
She... knows what she wants. She wants to lead all the activities these days. Even the books - she likes to control those and "read" them herself. She'll now choose a jigsaw any day over a book. Mainly she just uses me for meeting her goals and for cuddling.
She wants to sit on my lap and have me watch and clap as she does her puzzle, but I'd better not "help" too much! She wants me to attend to her play dough creations and sit at her small table and then she'll tell me what to do (kind of... like roll her hands together for me to make a ball or point to her hand for a play dough bracelet.)
She comes to me a lot with a dress stuck around her arm or something, because she wants to put it on. I love love love all the new and interesting things she's doing (we just did a 25 pc puzzle she's done ONCE that she got tonight and she did it in under 15 minutes!)
This 24/7 mama stuff is just rough. Life has been so much easier "using" TV, but I know it isn't good for her. Maybe my expectations for my own mothering skills are too high and too high for how independent a 22 month old should be. She's not even 2, after all.
