How do you entertain an 11 month old who is crawling?

[Marie12]

My DS is 11 1/2 months old and crawling/cruising. He just wants to crawl everywhere and pull himself up on furniture and play with things that he shouldn't e.g. stereo, t.v., etc. I keep saying No and moving him away and trying to distract him with toys etc but he is just like a whirlwind at the moment and I am really starting to struggle to know what to do with him.

I seem to spend the whole time following him around the room and stopping him from hurting himself and damaging things! He gets frustrated becasue he wants to explore and I get bored! By the evening I am exhausted!

What do other people do with babies this age?

[Lauraschildcare]

Hi Marie12,

Mine is 9 months and exactly the same, sometimes i wish i just had a room that was padded and never bought a tele, table, coffee table, dvd player etc etc etc.

I bought loadsa books that i didnt mind getting chewed, i also gave her a basket of things that weren't toys, ie, brush, plastic spoons, wooden spoons, yoghurt pots, empty CD covers,old telephone that didnt work, wooden blocks to munch on generally anything you wouldnt associate with toys and colour etc.

Keeps me fit though, what is going to happen when my little rascal starts walking, oh god.

Good luck :)

[Kelly1978]

I had one of these for the dts \link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/glance/-/kids/B00008PW0B/ref=br_lf_k_h_b_cs_12/026-7086519-8717249\here}?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 It got played with everyday, as they loved pulling up on it. I also stayed out of the house as mush as possible!

[Marie12]

Thats it - sometimes you see the day stretch before you and wonder how you will get through it! Have to wait in for a delivery today so don't know if I will be able to go out!

Will try those ideas thanks - he isn't interested in his toys becasue he is allowed them - only wants what he can't have!

[LittleSarah]

I remember this stage... my only real advice is move everything and anything you can out of reach! That is what I did, except for the TV and I had to tape the inside bit of a match box over the on button to stop my dd switching it on and off!!

[Tatties]

Marie, I could have written your post! Ds is 13mths now, and although it is still draining, I found it gets a bit easier once they are steadier on their feet and not as likely to hurt themselves. Then at least you don't have to follow them everywhere! I know just how you feel though, by bathtime I am ready to collapse!

Do you have a garden? He might like to crawl around outside. My ds loves stories and that can be a good way of getting to sit down for half an hour.

[supakids]

put them in play pen when not watching them.

[lionhearted]

I've given him a kitchen cupboard so he can sit on the floor and empty it out (put anything that isn't a toy in it, pots, spatulas, empty boxes etc). Add new stuff, take out the things he's ignoring, and then get on with the chores ...

[muppety]

My ds2 is 1 next week and exactly the same. If you take anything off him there is a full blown tantrum! The crawling stage is definately the hardest for me. ds1 was the same. Don't get me wrong he is a monkey at 2.7 but its just physically easier once then are walking and have more purpose. It all seems fairly random and meaningless destruction when they are like this. I wanted to be out playing in the garden with ds1 yesterday but its hard to be out with a crawling baby. I have sent a mental note that if I have anymore I need to time this bit to aviod the nice weather!

[girlymomma]

brilliant thread! - am at same point. DD loves her over door bouncer but also wants to explore.......I use a playpen when hot drinks in room, can't watch her properly etc as she is lethal left to own devices!
Find hardest thing getting into garden as not sure where to put her?........I put her in the swing while hanging up laundry but am afraid of steps on patio and not sure if I can just plonk her onto grass?
what do other mums do with crawlers in garden?

[Marie12]

I haven't been out in the garden with him yet. I have a dog so the lawn is not very hygenic (thats a separate issue!). We haven't lived here long and the garden is a mess, too many safety issues. Not sure how happy I would be about him crawling all round the grass anyway as we get frogs in our garden, yuck!

[snowleopard]

I put rugs out on the grass (you could do the same thing in a park) and DS who is the same age will play with bricks and his toy musical instruments for a while there before wanting to be off. Some parks / botanic gardens have no-dogs areas with nice grass, I think you could let a baby go crawling freely there.

Also DS loves a trip to the playground - he can go in a safety swing, and be held by the hands as he slides down the slide (I just lift him to the top).

I think the key is going out whenever you can - I basically take DS on a day trip every day I'm with him - parks, beach, shopping, museums, botanic garden, local castles, zoo - it's still gard work but less stultifying than trying to entertain him at home.

[charliegirl25]

what about going out for a long walk in the buggy now the weather is nicer. I love doing this with dd as is good for exercise and you can just chill and have some thinking time without saying 'no' every 5 seconds.

[FrayedKnot]

Have you got a room which you could temporarily turn into a playroom? We turned our dining room into one for about 9 months while DS was at that stage. Alternatively could you get one of the babydan room dividers or otherwise divide off your living room?

In our kitchen we just put locks on all teh cupboards (and initially, just wrapped elastic bands around the handles) and left DS with one cupboard he could go ito where I kept plastic stuff.

It does get better honestly, DS started playing with toys properly at around 14 months I suppose, and taking him out got much easier, & entertaining for him, once he was walking.

[pablopatito]

We removed all our own, dangerous stuff, from accessible places (shelves, cupboards etc) and replaced them with loads of toys we bought cheap off e-bay or from charity shops. Then DS spent hours cruising around the house getting toys off shelves and putting them somewhere else. And we put loads of cushions, beanbags etc around to stop him hurting himself.

He's 12 months old now and walking and things are worse, so good luck!