Things to do with easily bored 4-month old????

[tam170]

My DS is 4 months and gets v bored easily and goes from nothing to screaming in about 2 secs. Lots of my mates' babies seem to be able to amuse themselves for a bit but not mine. Bouncy chair with a variety of different toys gets a bit much after a while and the bumbo seat has been rejected so far. We've done some naked wriggling and that's ok but not all day! I've been carrying him around in a sling but I can't do this all day either. Am I being crazy to expect him to be able to play for a bit longer than 10 mins? I would be grateful for any activity ideas.

Sounds very very normal to me, used to drive me nuts. You could try:
Baby gym while lying flat
Wrist or ankle rattles
Tummy time (you need to be nearby), give him a mirror or something shiny to look at or crinkly paper to bat
TV if you're desperate! There's a baby channel I think
babies don't stick with anything much I used to take him out in his pram 2 or 3 times a day to feed to ducks or sit on the swings and intersperse that with playing with him and letting him play on his own.
HTH
phee

My boy has never been one to amuse himself and at 7 months still likes me to play with him all the time. Bouncy chair and baby gym were useless. I can keep him amused while I do the housework by slinging and now sitting in the high chair if I sing nursery rhymes and folk songs and give him lots of encouraging smiles and occasional kisses. Before he was sitting up he used to like sitting in an old car seat we were given while I did this.

He was a lot better once he could sit up (at about 5 and a half months) and we had a month where he would sit and play with a few bits on the floor if I was sitting beside him. Now he's trying to crawl he wants me there to pull him to standing and to be used as a climbing frame. He'll sit for a while with finger foods but this does make a giant mess. He also likes sitting and drumming on DH's tablas, but it's pretty much full on all day amusing him. He gets especially upset if I try to eat or talk on the phone and ignore him as a result.

I don't really mind though. I carry him from room to room with me as I do stuff and chivvy him along as necessary. Door bouncer works for a while but he still prefers me to sit and chat to him while he bounces. I think he's just high maintenance I just think of him in a few years time, wanting to be off with his mates, and try and make the most of it.

My DD was exactly like this. Had a bizarre conversation with another mum when she was about 4 months old when she (other mum) told me her DS 'wouldn't lie in his pram entertaining himself any more'. Entertaining himself? My DD would scream if left unentertainned for longer than about 30seconds! Baby gym worked for short periods, everything Pheebe said really. Also someone gave us a Baby Einsein video for Christmas and she loves it. I know that's not exactly perfect parenting but when you need to start dinner/ do the washing/ drink a semi hot cup of coffee it can be a life saver. Does get easier (not any comfort now I know) once they can sit up and grab stuff for themselves. And according to a friend of mine it's a sign of high intelligence but I think she made that up to make me feel better about not being able to go to the toilet without DD screaming!

Thanks for all the messages. Glad I'm not alone then! I agree about the intelligence thing. At least that's what my Mum keeps saying to make me feel better. Apparently she carried me around everywhere in a sling too! Tummy time a no-no as I'm a bad mummy and he sleeps on his front so thinks tummy time is for sleeping. I've just had 5 mins in chair so not bad. Play gym not great but at least he's not screaming in the sling.

Hi Tam, am also stuck trying to think of things to entertain my 4mo ds all day! Especially as he's napping a lot less than he used to... Play gym used to work - he'd play for up to 40mins on it, bliss! - but now he hates being laid flat for anything other than sleeping as he can't see what's going on. One of those bouncers you hang from the doorframe is his favourite and does keep him amused for a bit, though you can't really stray very far from them when they're in it. I've taken to putting him in his bouncy chair to watch me do the washing up/tidying/laundry etc - as long as I chat or sing to him while I'm doing it, he seems to find it quite diverting! Other than that, I'm stumped TBH. We're going to have to start going to some baby music groups etc, just to have an hour or so when someone else has to come up with the ideas...

Tie a helium balloon loosely around his ankle when he's lying down and let him kick and watch it dance about. (onbviously you need to be in the same room as they could get the string)

Wrap something jingly like sleighbells in some bright wrapping paper and let him shake them to death without poking his eye out/banging his gums.

Blow bubbles for him.

Scrub some fruit and veg and let him hold/sniff, maybe even lick them.

Buy an automated swing seat like fisher price takealong swing, they fall asleep in them!

We have a little tykes ocean gym which we use when ds is in his bouncy chair, he loves it, on sale at £15 iirc at asda.

Cbeebies (Yeah, yeah. I know)

Sit him in his carseat next to you when you wash up/cook and give him a wooden spoon to wave, or let him watch the washing going round in the washer. This may make him nod off too.

Read your own books or magazines sneakily by reading them outloud to your baby in an animated silly voice.

my 4mo ds is exactly the same. he wants to stand up ALL THE TIME. need to rotate with new and interesting toys or things from time to time. found making the bed easy as just prop ds up on a pillow and he loves having the bed made up around him, even tries to help pulling the sheets up. pity i don't religiously make the bed every day.

anything that glitters or rattles well seems to be the go.

i have also resorted to an evil baby walker as ds did not like bumbo as its to restrictive but he just loves to be able to sit and stand and wave his legs around.