Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

HELP, my 5 month old whinges all the time

18 replies

hayleywaley · 16/05/2007 11:33

My 5 month old ds has always been demanding, even when he was a few months old he needed constant entertaining, ive tried every type of toy, play mat going but he gets bored of things very quickly. He now wants me to entertain him rather than playwith his toys. He is very active (wriggly)and was able to sit up on his own at 3 months old, which has helped, he is happier when he is standing up but i cant hold him up all day. Has anyone else had a child like this? or has anyone got any ideas on how to entertain him for longer?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
TwigtheMaternityNurse · 16/05/2007 11:36

do you respond every time he whinges .. sometimes the whinging is just them talking and they do not actually need you

if he is in a safe place and you are nearby let him whinge for a little (a couple of minutes) and see if he settles himself down

but overall don't worry its a phase as soon as he can walk / crawl he'll probably be happier

try not to give him too many toys by the way .. just one or two

and try a nature basket .. a wicker basket full of natural / normal objects

TwigtheMaternityNurse · 16/05/2007 11:37

natural normal objects like fir cones, spoons, keys, cardboard tubes, citrus fruit, cds .. normal stuff that they can explore

look up heuristic play (on google)

or wnaky baskets (if doing an MN search)

hayleywaley · 16/05/2007 11:41

I have made a point of not going to him when he whinges only when he really screams! will try the sensory basket. He just seems to get bored very easily

OP posts:
TwigtheMaternityNurse · 16/05/2007 11:41

PS I have no professional qualifications I am just pointing out what a ridiculous thing it is to claim to be a maternity nurse because it means nothing .. well I do have some professional qualifications but only the first aid for children is related to kids .. I'm just a mum

TwigtheMaternityNurse · 16/05/2007 11:42

deep breaths .. its a phase .. how about music?

hayleywaley · 16/05/2007 11:48

He does like music and loves me singing to him etc. Might try putting nursery rhymes on while he playing. Also think it might have something to do with sleep, he has just woken from his morning 40 min nap and is fine but within the hour he will be moaning. He used to fall asleep easily in the day but now i have to get him to sleep in car or with his bottle. When he is in good mood he is great and soooo funny, its just the un-necissary moaning which gets me

OP posts:
whywhywhy · 16/05/2007 11:51

hayleywaley my ds1, now nearly 4, was just like this. I couldn't leave him with anything for a minute. He wasn't even happy being held unless the view was changing every 2 minutes. I nearly went nuts.

If it helps(!) he is still like this- really easily bored, to the extent that I have asked his school if he might have ADHD! but they said they don't think so, he is just very sociable but also self-motivated and wants to control all his own activities. For instance, he will spend an hour now (if accompanied by an adult!) doing a puzzle magazine with sums etc in it, but will rarely sit and draw a picture. Baking with him is a nightmare- he just starts mucking about and shouting, pulling silly faces etc. He wants to follow adults around with him, talk constantly, and ask questions all day (hence my name on here!) But he can behave impeccably in a restaurant if he wants.

I suspect your boy will have some of these traits and is obviously very active, just like mine. It's really hard work, but I think these strong, (hyper)active characters are often also charmers and really sociable.

For now, I think you have to just put up with as much crying as you can- i never found a way to make ds1 less bored other than going out and taking him to new places all the time. When he could walk and talk, it was so much easier although exhausting.

I sometimes found his crying was overtiredness too as he couldn't switch off, and if I left him (out of despair, as needed to eat, go to toilet, etc) he would sometimes fall asleep.

TwigtheMaternityNurse · 16/05/2007 11:52

yes he's probably just tired ... if you take him out in his buggy will he fall asleep?

also try music you like .. it doesn't have to be nursery rhymes, which personally I find rather difficult to listen too .. my kids love an eclectic mix of music

hayleywaley · 16/05/2007 11:55

Yeah he is better if i change his view and give him something else to look at etc. He does have problems switching off cause he is sooooo active and always wanting to move about so will only sleep when really exhausts himself. Nice to know its nt just him!

OP posts:
hayleywaley · 16/05/2007 11:56

Yeah he will sleep in his buggy, although if doesnt want/ need to sleep he gets bored in there too

OP posts:
hayleywaley · 16/05/2007 11:58

have to go out now but will check back later, thanks for all your responses

OP posts:
TwigtheMaternityNurse · 16/05/2007 11:58

long walks were a big part of early months .. its good for the buttocks and thighs too

wools · 16/05/2007 12:09

Can't really offer any advice but just wanted to say you're not alone - my 6 month dd is just like yours - in fact she is whinging away as I'm typing this. DS2 was also like this and only in the last few months has he been easier (he is 22 months now btw). I agree with Whywhywhy - he is a charmer if ever there was one - he's still sometimes hard work though.

whywhywhy · 16/05/2007 12:14

this is eerie hayley, apart from the physical capacities of yours (my ds1 couldn't even roll over until 7 mths so got really, really frustrated!!) they could be the same boy I think....

he would sleep in the pram only if exhausted (wouldn't sleep anywhere else in the day, just scream with overtiredness for literally hours) and if not, from 4 mths old would spend the whole journey staring obsessively at the changing view, and complaining whenever the pram stopped!

mamma2kids · 16/05/2007 12:17

WWW. My DS exactly the same. You said it better than me.

GemBean · 16/05/2007 12:38

Hi Hayley, my dd is now 14 months but at about 5 or 6 months was exactly the same, really hard work and ultra demanding. Then all of a sudden she started to crawl and was much much better and content and happy, plus slept amazingly. I thought she was frustrated before which led to the whingeyness. She's actually starting to be a bit like it again and this time I think she is frustrated as she is trying desperatley to talk to us but can't. Am sure once she starts talking she will be herself again. Hope this helps.

hayleywaley · 16/05/2007 15:51

oh yes, WWW im not allowed to stop in the pram or he screams! I do think he is sometimes frustrated as now that he can keep hold of toys (although he does prefer mobile phones or remote controls, annoyingly) he is slightly better than he used to be. i keep thinking hurry up and crawl, then think but then he will be up to all sorts or mischief! the poor boy cant win

OP posts:
hayleywaley · 16/05/2007 16:19

oh my......i tried the heuristic play idea and he has sat happily for 20 mins so far. a miracle!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page