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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask what you do with your baby all day?

62 replies

Eminybob · 17/10/2014 09:31

DS is 14 weeks old and I'm worried that he's getting bored when we're at home and I'm not stimulating him enough.

We have outside the house activities most days, we do swimming, baby sensory, rhyme time and a baby group. And some days we'll just go shopping or meet my friends.

When we are at home he has a baby gym playmat thing, a bouncy chair, and other toys which I do play with with him, or sometimes he is happy playing my himself but only for a short while. I look at picture/black and white books with him etc and read to him. And we do tummy time for a bit but he's not a big fan so we can only do a couple of minutes at a time.

But I obviously can't be playing with him constantly, I need to get on with stuff so I pop baby TV on and he will happily watched that for a bit. I do worry about him watching telly from such a young age though.
Sometimes we just sit and cuddle while I watch a bit of grown up telly.

Does this sound ok? Any tips for keeping us both entertained? Can you tell me what your day looks like with your baby?

OP posts:

Littlef00t · 17/10/2014 09:38

Sounds fine, but I bet he would rather watch you do the washing up than baby TV.

At that age I would move the bouncer around the house so dd could watch me while I worked. She particularly enjoyed being on the change mat on the floor of the bathroom while I showered, I think she enjoyed the different noises and echoes of huge bathroom, and I would play peekaboo etc.

Littlef00t · 17/10/2014 09:39

The bathroom not huge bathroom, not boasting!!

aurynne · 17/10/2014 09:40

"swimming, baby sensory, rhyme time and a baby group. And some days we'll just go shopping or meet my friends. When we are at home he has a baby gym playmat thing, a bouncy chair, and other toys which I do play with with him, or sometimes he is happy playing my himself but only for a short while. I look at picture/black and white books with him etc and read to him."

Erm... he is 14 weeks old. You sound way over the top obsessive. Sitting on his chair and looking at the world around him, plus you cuddling him and talking to him is really more than enough. If you continue like this you will end up becoming a much-maligned helicopter parent, and will have a child who has no idea how to entertain himself.

KnackeredMuchly · 17/10/2014 09:40

You're doing great!!

I was told once "You are your baby's best playground". To them - the ordinary is beautiful and magnificent.

HappyNap · 17/10/2014 09:43

He is 14 weeks old. Just put him on his playmat, that is more than enough!

EatDessertFirst · 17/10/2014 09:44

At that age both of mine liked to watch the washing machine while sitting in their bouncy chair. After reading your lovely list, I feel bad for them .

Original poster

Eminybob · 17/10/2014 09:48

Thank you all, maybe I am overthinking it a bit!
He's my PFB so I really haven't got a clue what I'm doing!

OP posts:

LaurieMarlow · 17/10/2014 09:52

Hi Eminy. My DS is 18 weeks and I could have written your post. What we do is very similar (exactly the same activities) and I'm also looking for ideas on new things to do.

The only things I can add are long walks in the pram/sling when the weather is good. My DS loves to look at trees and scrunch a leaf in his hand. And I'm loving baby cinema. Are there any Everyman cinemas near you? They serve you coffee and cake while you're watching and there's plenty of space for DS to feed, sleep, play, while I get to do something grown up for a change.

But yes, I'd love some inspiration for round the house. DS is getting bored with his playmat and will only sit in the bouncer for 5-10 minutes. I'm thinking about getting a jumperoo but DH isn't keen.

As he's sitting well with support I'm going to try DS in his high chair and hopefully that way I can do things like prepare dinner while he watches/plays along side. I think he'll be happier when closer to the action.

CalpolOnToast · 17/10/2014 09:53

I think you are doing enough, I would recommend you get him used to watching you do housework etc and make it fun for him, I have a toddler who wails if I wash up because I did very little when he was awake when he was tiny.

fluffyraggies · 17/10/2014 09:54

At 14 weeks babies have a huge job ahead of them. They have to learn to roll, sit, crawl and walk. They have the changing routine of weaning coming up and find everything stimulating. They've got school in a few years - then you'll wish you did more simple slobbing around the house enjoying each other.

Seriously OP you can tone it all down and just enjoy doing mundane stuff (to you) around the house while chatting and singing with your baby and that will be just fine!

(i had 3 under 5 in my 20s and had no time for all that special 'stimulation' for no's 2 and 3, they just tagged along with my normal routine and grew up fine )

startwig1982 · 17/10/2014 09:54

My 8 wo dd and I have 3 days just the two of us. We go for a walk as she loves being outside, play on her mat, she sits in her chair while I do things, etc.
At the moment we don't do anything more structured as she seems content and also has a long sleep in the morning.
I would second the idea to put him in a chair and let him watch you rather then putting him in front of TV.

ClapHandsIfYouBelieveInFatties · 17/10/2014 09:57

I also think you sound like you are going over the top.

I have two DDs and all they did was one playgroup a week! Other than that they went around the house or shops with me....had a few visitors now and then.

They are 10 and 6 now and both doing extremely well academically and socially.

Chill out.

imme · 17/10/2014 09:59

At that age my DD was on the playmat whilst I was watching Homes Under The Hammer. Honestly I wouldn't worry about too many baby centered activities at that age.

CleopatrasEyeliner · 17/10/2014 10:00

Baby circus, baby sightseeing, baby mountain climbing, that's what I did ..more like poor baby has to listen to mummy wittering on, watching mummy lazily do the washing up, 'watch' telly with mummy (but really only mummy was watching), be pushed around the park by mummy (wittering included). you're doing fantastically, he's only been in the world for a few weeks, I'm still working it out now! Enjoy your lovely, stinky bundle of goodness and make sure that you're keeping yourself entertained!

CleopatrasEyeliner · 17/10/2014 10:01

And really don't worry about the telly, have it on guilt free, it's just some noise and lights to him like everything else in the world is at the moment!

Trinpy · 17/10/2014 10:05

As others have said, take him around the house with you and he can watch you doing housework, etc. Its also good to help him learn to entertain himself for a minute. Don't miss this opportunity to slob around at home, because once babies start crawling it becomes a lot harder to do that!

I had the same worries with my pfb, but they really don't need much stimulation at that age.

Chandon · 17/10/2014 10:07

I did none of those things, did not even occur to me.

I parked my baby under a tree sometimes, in the pram, as he liked to look at the moving leaves, whilst i read the paper.

Or just walked him around in the pram.

He also and a mobile thingy above his cot which he loved.

All those classes are fine, do them if you enjoy them (and they are great for YOUR social life and it stops you from being cooped up with the baby all day, which is important, It is good to get out.),

but none of those things are necessary. So only do them if you enjoy them.

BlackandGold · 17/10/2014 10:07

Well, you're already doing far more than I did with mine!

I would go for more of the relaxed time on the floor or watching you do things and switch off the tv - but that's probably just me!

beccajoh · 17/10/2014 10:07

Goodness me he's a very busy baby already! My two used to spend most of their time sat in pushchairs in coffee shops, or in the bouncy chair watching me do whatever at that age. I did one singing class a week with PFB at the same age. I wasn't getting enough sleep to do much more!

PervyMuskrat · 17/10/2014 11:15

imme you've just described my morning exactly

HappyNap · 17/10/2014 11:17

Baby cinema is a fab idea though. You can watch a lovely film whilst he sleeps/watches/plays. Once they start crawling you can't really go to the cinema so make the most out of it now.

WipsGlitter · 17/10/2014 11:25

I used to go for coffee and read the papers with him in a car seat (I'm sure that is really frowned upon!) Potter round the shops, watch tv, bit of tidying. I didn't get up until about 9am most mornings!

God it was boring sometimes. I remember literally waiting at the window for DP to come home!

I actually found it easier when I had two - did much more then.

What you are doing is fine. Babies just need love and food for the first while.

iwishiwasacat · 17/10/2014 12:15

That is a lot of activities for a 14 week old baby! I think it's a bit OTT really. If you're doing them because they get you out of the house and you enjoy them then that's cool but if you're doing them because you think a 3 month old needs to then you could probably scale it back a bit.

I'd nix the TV though for sure, he'd have a much better time watching you do chores and you get to talk/sing to him.

lornathewizzard · 17/10/2014 12:18

Our DD is 12 weeks and we only tend to do one or two things a week, whether that is the local playgroup or lunch out with a friend. Some days we'll go walks depending on the weather and if I can be bothered! She likes to sit in her chair in the kitchen, music on and I can get some stuff done. She's also quite happy sitting up on my knee staring at the telly! If she's grumpy in her chair I will try to get her to hold her teddies or I just squish her, she likes that haha!

bigbluestars · 17/10/2014 12:21

Once your baby is mobile things will change a lot. He will rearrange your home for you.

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