What else should I be doing with 11 mo?

[Shallow07]

DD is a lovely, fun little girl and I adore her but I'm feeling guilty about the amount of time we have the TV on during the day (literally hours at a time) and am wondering what other people are doing to fill the time!

I'd imagined that we'd be out at groups or seeing people every day but a move to a new town and Covid has obviously put paid to that. She plays with her toys with TV in the background and sometimes watches on my lap. We only ever watch kids TV so it's nothing that's inappropriate for her, just too much of it.

We read books several times a day, eat meals in the kitchen away from the TV, take at least one long walk so it's not like she's in front of it all day. I do play peekaboo etc but it doesn't last that long. I talk to her lots and sing songs which she loves but I can't do it literally all day. Any ideas would be much appreciated!

[booklover164]

I think there are parenting apps which connect you to local mums. Could you try that and get out with another family? It's so hard. I had my first in 2018 and we did lots of classes and playgroups. Just had my second and there's nothing to do. I really feel for you. I think some classes are still running in my area so might be worth having a look?

[Aquamarine1029]

Replace the tv with music. I wouldn't be using the tv for background noise. It's rubbish.

[Unexpectedmoney]

Can you just have the TV on less and your little join in whatever you're doing? Cleaning, supermarket etc. Maybe put the radio on instead? It helps me to break the day into sections. Even with my 3yo and 6yo I still do it. Breakfast, learning, snack, walk, lunch, main activity eg messy play, baking etc, TV (while I clean up), books, free play (while I cook), dinner, family playtime, bath books bed.

[Shallow07]

Thank you for such a quick response @booklover164 it's so hard with nothing to do with them isn't it? Congratulations on your new baby. We're in tier 3 at the moment so there's nothing running locally. Fingers crossed next year will be better and hopefully I can meet some more local mums then!

[firstimemamma]

Get on Pinterest and type stuff into the search bit like 'activities for babies', 'sensory activities' and you'll find thousands of ideas.

I also tend to find parenting outside easier. I know the weather is crap a lot of the time but I try to get outside whenever I can. Local park, off on a walk, wherever.

[Debradoyourecall]

I have an eleven month old too and also watch too much TV...

Some things I do to try and break the habit... going to her big brother’s bedroom to play, which has no TV in. I put radio on or get story books out and read them to her while she explores the room. We build towers and knock them down together, open up boxes and put things back in the boxes again.

I’m hoping that more groups do start to gradually reopen. Every single baby group/play group near me has stopped.

In the spring/summer I will take her to the park and just hang out there playing on the grass.

[Shallow07]

Maybe I do need to be more scheduled. It's hard to do while her sleep is still so rubbish (we've just moved house and she's a bit unsettled so is out of her routine). I find getting on with jobs tricky when she's around as I'm always worried she's going to hurt herself with my back turned. She fell off the sofa when I literally turned my back for a second to pick up a book a few months ago and it really knocked my confidence.

We do listen to music too, though could do more. And I'll look at Pinterest. Thank you!

[hollyangel]

It's very hard right now. I have a 2 year old and I miss soft play, coffee mornings and toddler classes so much. It's so freezing too, there are so many hours of the day to fill!

I think a relaxed schedule with some loose rules is great. So how about no tv in the morning or else no tv in the afternoon, whichever is your hard time. Then build in their nap-time , include at home play time/books/baths and then add in your guilt-free tv time.
11 months is a good age to put some structure in place. But you have my sympathies, some days just won't go to plan and there will be too much tv and that's ok too.

[Unexpectedmoney]

Oh and having a schedule is totally for my benefit, breaking the day into chucks makes it less scary to think what are we going to do all day?! I sometimes even prep the learning and the main activity the night before. But not always!

[MarshmallowsOnToast]

We are in Tier 3 too and quite a few classes are running as they're allowed due to being "organised activities for under-18's" so perhaps try having another look to see if anything is running again.

We are currently doing baby sensory & swimming classes.

[fonxey]

I put music on at times but never the tv. Mainly it's because i personally hate having the TV on in the background and we don't play music all the time. I think children should be able to cope with silence and not always needing a noise on in the background. I find it very hard to think of brain always having to have noise. But then that is mainly just me.

I am thinking at some point finding somr dvds she can watch. Just so i can do other things.

She's happy to play with her toys or try to climb me. Really into climbing at the moment so i got a small suitcase and filled it with books to make heavy. She uses it to climb up onto sofa.

It's kinda repetitive i would like me more activities but i wonder if they are more for me or her? She seems happy with her toys. I sit down and play with them. Stack up her boxes, put a box on my head etc .

Sing. Carry her around so she can point at things she's interested in. It seems to fill up the day.

[Debradoyourecall]

@Shallow07 I don’t attempt to do any jobs around my baby either as I don’t feel safe turning my back for a second... the most I do is making lunch/dinner while she’s in the high chair, but any longer than 5-10 mins of that and she gets very grumpy!

[PlantDoctor]

My DD is 12 mo and I always make sure we get out somewhere during the day (usually after lunch). We often do a "craft" activity of some sort (drawing, painting, stickers). Other than that, she loves books and playing with her toys, practicing her standing/cruising, plus a couple of naps, meals, snack while I get something done like hanging washing, and playing with DH when he finishes work, that's already a full day for us!

[lurking]

Your baby is still so little and we're in the midst of a pandemic. Definitely cut yourself some slack about the TV :) above posters have some good suggestions, and at that age just lots of reading and singing. Their attention is so short at that point, so don't spend too long creating things for them to do! Simple things like hitting pans with wooden spoons can keep them going for a while (if you can stomach the noise!)

[Shallow07]

Thanks everyone, some good ideas here. We did some sensory play with spaghetti yesterday which she loved. And lots of reading. I'm going to get a playpen for downstairs to give me a bit more freedom to get on with jobs.

Today has been a bit of a write-off. I've realised that I'm probably a little depressed which is making me feel like I'm not a good mum it's been a difficult year- we had a house purchase fall through and were worried about not having anywhere to go for a while, my dad is going through investigations for cancer and I'm currently in the midst of legal proceedings against an organisation who neglected me and allowed me to be abused by a staff member as a child. On top of Covid and having a baby, it's been a lot. I can't drive so can't take DD to many places. She is wonderful and I love her so much but feel like I'm letting her down.

[Debradoyourecall]

Glad she enjoyed the sensory play. You sound like a lovely mum, all she needs is you. Go easy on yourself x