Any ideas how to keep a very demanding 16m old occupied?

[bumbleweed]

My dd is a proper velcro-toddler and demands my attention virtually all the time. If its not breastfeeding, its wanting to be in my arms looking at things on shelves and surfaces she cant reach.

Although she likes books, she rarely wants to look at them on her own. Her toys capture her attention for no more than a few minutes at a time, then its back to pulling at my legs.

Believe me, I do give her alot of full-on attention, but I am exhausted at the moment and wondering what other activities I can do with her to stimulate her? I am bored and tired with just carrying her around or sitting feeding her.

Any advice from those who have been there, would be highly appreciated as I feel well-frazzled today.

Love the washing up idea but I fear DS & I would end up swimming... we'll try the moneybox one - he'll like that and although I'll have to watch him, at least I may be able to sit down for a couple of mins.

2 other fab things in our house are: feather duster type thing and a broom/ swiffer - DS loves to 'clean' - that's another 5 mins.

I followed DS around cul de sacs, carparks and canal verges and other weird places that took his fancy for years. He didn't like going whatever way I liked, either. It's not so bad to just let them explore (allowing for safety measures, all that).

fruitful - LOL at tv

I will definitely try the money box, as dd loves posting coins into the paddington bear charity box at our local garden centre

franny, I have been thinking about ping pong balls all day (on and off) - do the cardboard tubes from toilet rolls work okay or do they need to be bigger?

I think I have curtain rings in the loft. only one mug tree tho. And a couple of large biscuit tins I think.

You know the sort of tubes from wrapping paper, those are the best. Ask your friends to save them for you.

You can make a great posting tin from a particular brand of formula milk (I can send you one if none of your friends use, erm, SMA I think it is?) - it has a metal tin and a plastic lid you can cut with a pair of scissors into as easy or challenging a shape as you fancy

Charity shops are good for mug trees - kitchen roll holders are good as well. Boot sales are also a top source. Instead of curtain rings you can use bracelets, or split rings joined together (will post links)

Biscuit tins are very amusing.

Here is my marvellous posting box (yes I have nothing better to do than find old threads as you are all watching Five Life

The ping pong balls make such a fab sound when you drop them in

these are good - the metal rings you get on a key ring. Join them together so they make a chain, and they can hang them on the mug trees or drop them through the tubes or clang them in the tins

Straws are a good cheap one - Ikea

Colanders, Ikea cutlery holder, or anything you can poke holes in are good to stick straws into

franny, you're a star. thanks for the link to the posting tin. I will have to ask around if anyone I know uses SMA.

also thanks for the link for the split rings

lots of good ideas. ta