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Behaviour/development

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

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Original poster

Best way to entertain 19 week old DS - have to work!

25 replies

bravissimo · 03/12/2007 15:51

Can anyone give me any tips on how to keep my DS occupied whilst i work? I am currently working from home and DS 19 weeks only wants to play with me when he is awake. He has a play gym which he likes but only for 10 minutes, he hates his bouncy chair, doesn't really bother with his teethers or rattles. He's only happy if I'm playing/singing to him. Unfortunately I have to work but luckily I can work from home but I just can't get anything done! He also hates being in his sling so I can't even work that way. Currently i play with him about 4 hours a day in between naps or feeds and have no time to myself even if i wasn't having to work!

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LadyOfWassail · 03/12/2007 15:53

My DS LOVED his swing - it was pricey at £100 but worth every single penny. It played it's own tunes, or I would stick on some classical music and sit next to him and do whatever I needed to do.

LadySnowsAlot · 03/12/2007 15:53

have you got a doorway baby bouncer? if your ds can hold his head up properly he can go in that. or put him in front of a mirror. hours of fun

annh · 03/12/2007 16:11

Are you planning on carrying on working from home as ds gets older 'cos it will only get worse! If you have a childcare plan in mind for when he is a little older then I would bring it forward.

Original poster

bravissimo · 03/12/2007 16:17

LoW - what swing do you have? i have a mamas and papas starlight swing chair which he never really liked - been a while since put him in it though so maybe he might like it now. Snowsalot which doorway bouncer have you got? i hadn't thought of that.

thanks for the suggestions - anymore would be most gratefully received.

OP posts:

witchandchips · 03/12/2007 16:20

echo annh unless your work involves practicing dancing moves around the living room, making silly faces or proof reading baby books!

LadyOfWassail · 03/12/2007 16:21

Erm... fisher price aquarium? It goes back and forth and side to side, i'll go find a link

LadyOfWassail · 03/12/2007 16:22

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0982582/Trail/searchtext>SWING.htm basically that, but when they had the Aquarium one - same thing, just had fishes instead.

bluejelly · 03/12/2007 16:24

Can you afford to get help as he gets bigger?

tigana · 03/12/2007 16:25

DH works from home every morning, with ds, and has done since I went back to work when ds was about 6months.

I think cbeebies has helped, also MTV2, Scuzz, Rockworld and Kerrang.
Also think the fact ds is a pretty mellow child has also helped.
Plus DH is self employed, so 'working from home' is answering the phone and doing emails, and he does the more concentration-requiring stuff in the afternoons when he is in office and ds is in nursery.

People are used to hearing squawks and squeals on the other end of the phone when they phone DH!

tigana · 03/12/2007 16:27

It has got harder as ds has got older, as he has become mobile and determined to get into everything and wants DH to join in with it all...all totally understandable obviously.

Currently has occasional respite as ds is getting to grips with playing by himself for longer than 2 minutes now.

Original poster

bravissimo · 03/12/2007 16:29

yes I am beginning to realise that this working from home is not going to be easy as i thought!! Don't want to put him in a nursery at this stage and regardless the fees would use up most of my income anyway [:-(]. i had in the swing in again just now and had a wonderful 5 minutes of peace but he's shouting his head off now! what can you do when mummy is his favourite toy?

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Original poster

bravissimo · 03/12/2007 16:36

should add that will get some family help in the new year so it's the next few weeks i have to get through and try to meet the deadlines.

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NoviceKnitter · 03/12/2007 16:52

wow, very impressed that you're managing to work from home at all. dd is 5 months and i've only recently managed to cook meals again! what sling do you have? i've discovered that if i put dd facing outwards in the kari me she'll happily potter along with me for a good hour - folding clothes or making scones. don't know what kind of work you do but if it's in the least bit visually interesting for your lo maybe this could help?

tigana · 03/12/2007 16:57

Does your work basically involve sitting at a computer, concentrating?
Not easy to do this when any age child is awake!
Work extra hard during naps and in the evenings to make up for general uselessness during waking hours!

Original poster

bravissimo · 03/12/2007 17:54

I have the maya wrap - doesn't seem to be comfortable and the material is a bit rough! Unfortunately my work is purely sitting at a computer and concentrating very hard on lots of documents. I think I will def have to give up on the daytime work as it's getting me stressed not being very productive and just concentrate on getting as much done in the evenings when DH is here unless i can find the ultimate toy for a 5 month old!

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LadySnowsAlot · 03/12/2007 18:27

i've got the one from mothercare which he adores.

HonoriaGlossop · 03/12/2007 18:48

I totally think you should re-evaluate and as you say, work in the evenings or nap times only. Your baby is too young for you to expect him to entertain himself for any length of time at all really; of course he wants you, he's only 19 weeks old! I think you're expecting too much of yourselves, and you might find that it's alot easier on you if you work in the evening when you can concentrate more (not that any of this is an easy option, as you'll be exhausted by then anyway!)

Acinonyx · 03/12/2007 20:01

I'm surprised you expect to be able to work with an awake baby! Dd is now 2.5 and I've never been able to work with her awake and present. That's why I use childcare - I don't really think it's good for a child to have a parent working 'on duty' unless it's some kind of physically active work which they can watch or help with.

annh · 03/12/2007 20:54

Bravissimo, I presume you are self-employed?

Original poster

bravissimo · 04/12/2007 17:20

Yes, i am self-employed. I only need to do a few hours a week at the moment - just want to try and get 3-4 hrs a day done but am probably expecting too much of myself and too much of DS! i can get about 2 hrs done when he naps - just need to try and fit the rest in somehow - most likely in the late evening. Obviously am not expecting him to entertain himself hours at a time - just wondered if anything to amuse him for about 30 mins here and there as at the moment i can't leave him for more than 10 minutes which makes even having a shower difficult.

OP posts:

Acinonyx · 04/12/2007 17:44

At that age, I found a really good mobile or the swing would keep her entertained for 15-30 minutes (which is how I used to get ready in the morning).

PoinsettiaBouquets · 05/12/2007 16:22

I shall probably be shot for this but the Baby Mozart video was like hypnosis for my DS! Half an hour of peace and quiet (well, appallingly produced classical music.)

Acinonyx · 05/12/2007 17:10

Oh I had that dvd too - and some others. Dd loved them.

FioFio · 05/12/2007 17:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

wildfish · 05/12/2007 17:58

I've worked from home since DS was 4 months. And it only gets harder

But I can't remember what we did for entertainment back then. I remember that nap times used to be a window of opportunity, and of course night time for concentrated effort. Otherwise it was multitasking. If I had a call, then I used to rely of my Dad helping during the call or arranging calls during naps and using the mute button effectively. But the need for direct 1-1 attention has grown, to the point I am told to put the computer down (DS is nearly 4)

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