Playing with a 3 month old

[HelenLG]

Hi,

Up to the last couple of weeks DS was perfect, he liked to play and cuddle and sleep. Now he wont sleep for longer than half an hour and doesn't want to cuddle anymore.

He wants to be in everything, he wants to be talked to constantly, he wants to crawl/walk/roll on me all the time. He literally can't be awake and just sit, he needs constant entertainment otherwise he screams.

I don't know what to do, maybe I'm a terrible mum but having him on me constantly for nearly 10 hours a day by myself is driving me mad. Everyone else who he sees thinks I'm crazy because as soon as there's other people around he's good as gold because he's the centre of attention.

I know it's too soon to make a rod for me own back, but I'm just wondering if this will get better and he will be able to entertain himself. Me and DH have already discussed having a second kid and I can't see how I would be able to give two child the amount of attention DS demands.

It's mainly the afternoons when he screams, I think maybe he's tired but I can't get him to take a nap.

Have you tried a walk in the buggy/sling?
Got a 6mo who's the same. We go for a walk to the park, go to a cafe, just get out and about so he's got stuff to look at.

We try and go out once a day either in the sling or buggy, but the colder weathers coming in now

I think 3 months is a really awkward time, my daughter is 4 months and I've noticed similar behaviour in her.

I think at that age they are much more alert and interested in the world, but can't crawl or anything so they get frustrated and bored.

I basically do rotation all day - she goes from baby gym to her swing to sitting in her baby nest to a walk to visiting someone to a cafe.....she basically is fine as long as the scenery keeps changing.

I am assuming it will change as she gets more active, and in fact it is improving already as she can reach for and hold on to (ok, chew) things for a while before dropping them.

My 3 month old DD doesn't sleep much in the day either and likes lots of chatting, gets bored very easily in one place. Of all toys, I find mobiles allow her to entertain herself if she can kick them or hit them! I've got a black and white card one from socialbaby.com that keeps her happy for 20 mins + in the crib - if I lower it to just above her feet.
I've threaded small soft toys from coat hangers to keep in different rooms in the house. This keeps her happy in a bouncy chair, I'm always in the room, so am not worried about entanglement. (Friends swear by the tinylove mobiles for getting some peace but I found mine was a bit of a waste of money - plus it's not suitable for being touched by baby).

I have the same sort of routine as Foxyrevenger. Last week I discovered she loves being pushed round a supermarket in the trolley baby seat (surely won't last!) :)

You could try going to Gymboree or a similar baby class - occupies a morning and gave me ideas for improvising play with my DS when he was that age. Basically, you need to find ways to entertain him that don't exhaust you. But since babies like very simple things, such as kicking at dangling toys, you should be OK!

We had a fantastic baby gym - Tiny Love with all the bells and whistles. Get the best one you can afford. He literally spent hours in it (off and on) during the day until he was seven or eight months old. I used to sit on the sofa and watch him play, so he knew I was there, but I wasn't actually doing anything and could relax.

Going out: wrap up warm! Seriously, cold weather is no barrier to a brisk afternoon walk. You'll feel better, he'll have a break from the house/you, and you won't be trapped staring at him whine. They all seem to get cranky in the afternoon if they've been in all day. Get him a cosy pram suit, get yourself decent gloves to avoid frigid pram hands, and get out there.

Final point: babies change all the time. Don't worry about him. He'll get on to another phase soon enough.

blimey, wait til he's a toddler! i've a new 3 month old and he's a doddle compared to his 3 year old sister! enjoy the 'relative' calm before mobility kicks in ;)
seriously though, perhaps you're missing the signs and he is over tired...agree with other ladies, long cosy walks are the way forward at this stage.