What does your one year old do?

[zinher]

DD is 11 months old. I feel like I should be doing more with her but don't know what to do. She crawls behind me while I do housework. I keep an eye on her but generally let her entertain herself. We eat together and play with her toys for maybe 15 min but she likes to explore herself so most of those are a waste. We go out every other day. Feel like I should be doing more with her and stimulating her.

Any ideas?

Mostly school runs (three times a day to drop/collect her sisters) and then droping/collecting from their activities.

These Christmas holidays where she has been free from their routine has been brilliant. The joy of just being able to crawl and play with no fighting to get her into her snowsuit or car seat has been BLISS!

I say enjoy the pottering around with her. Playing and housework is fine - she's obviously happy. I would throw in some reading and nursery rhymes (maybe look at story time or rhyme time at the library) hut I'll bet you do that anyway!

Share stories with her (board books?); build Duplo models, and count bricks, do colours, shapes.

Do music activities: sing with her to nursery rhyme CDs (but NOT with zapped up freaky backings); domestic percussion, wooden spoon on pans or lids; count the beats, make up rhythms; if she can stand, let her dance. Get her a glockenspiel or small xylophone, but not just a 'toy' one which may not sound very nice.

If you have a tape recorder, record her 'talking'.

If you have a garden, and it's not TOO cold, show her plants and bulbs starting to grow. Look at birds in the garden.

ENJOY HER!

He mostly loves climbing stairs and furniture, chasing balls and driving cars along the floor. Loves his walker, loves to dance to the radio, have pretend conversations on the phone, roll around on the floor with me giving kisses. He's just starting to enjoy jigsaws and stacking bricks/ cups. Loves 'row row row your boat' and 'if you're happy and you know it'. Also enjoys walks in the pram, swimming, and most of all being around new people, 'chatting' to them, laughing and cruising around furniture.

Singing?
Messy play if your feeling brave?!
Do you take her to any play group?
Swimming?
She is still pretty little. Everything around her is stimulating. If she is content and developing I wouldn't worry too much.

DS is 12mo and will happily spend an hour opening and shutting drawers and cupboards and taking things out and putting them back somewhere else. He recently started bouncing up and down to music which is very cute. He likes ripping pages out of books. He will come and 'help' when I am cleaning up after him. Out and about he is happy to toddle around looking at things, particularly those with textures. Basically he is always on the move.

I feel the same way about my dd. She definitely loves seeing other kids, even if just pointing at them at the swings We play instruments, read books, empty my make up bag (!), go for walks, go to supermarket and put her in the trolley (hilarity gained from this is capped at 15mins) and generally ransack anything in the house. I find dd amuses herself too, but I feel I should be doing messy play etc. My dd is ultra clingy at the moment so I can't even do housework when she won't be put down.