What should I be doing to entertain a 4 month old (and myself)?!

[Flowerface]

DD is 4 months, and I am finding it quite hard to think of ways to entertain her... and myself... all day. We live in quite a small and remote town, with no close family. I go to baby groups a couple of times a week, but other than that I am finding it quite hard to fill the days, esp as she can't really hold things properly yet, or play with toys.

I don't want to just stick her under the baby gym as this seems like the 4 month old equivalent of TV, but I am slightly at a loss (and quite bored myself, to tell the truth).

I am going to start swimming with her after Easter. Any other suggestions?

Just being with you is ample entertainment and stimulation at the moment.I would do whatever you want to do and just chat to her about things.

Really hard, isn't it. [helpful]

Trouble with the baby gym is, they get bored of it... like everything else.

The only baby book that's any good on this phase IMO is How Not To Be a Perfect Mother. Babies this age like people. If you try and be the people all the time, you will go insane before they can sit up. Ergo, import other people.

You need a local 10-year-old to come and play with the baby. You need teenagers doing Child Development. You need someone to come and wash the windows and stick the baby in a seat to watch them. You need to sort washing in front of them singing the Washing Song. You need to garden/dig the windowbox/allotment while they watch, and hope that other allotment holders will wander over to chat. You need cousins, aunts, friends. You need to go and volunteer at the old peoples' home and let the ones who like babies dandle them on their knee [newsflash: not all older people like babies]. Anything. Everything. Be out of the house where people are. Throw parties on a regular basis - all this age group really need is 30 preschoolers running round and round. Have another baby [gulp]. Borrow another child to look after.

Things get much worse better when they get mobile.

Only my honest opinion but I think you're already doing more then enough...why would you want to entertain her any more than this?she will hold things and play with toys in no time...

Yes, choosyfloosy's schedule sounds terrifying!

sorry

was meant to be a list from which you pick one or two things

can see that it looks more like parade-ground orders

still perhaps it will make your normal day look a lot more appealing

Choosyfloosy - I know you're right. I think I am too antisocial... I am feeling it particularly this week because all the families we know have gone away for Easter, and the groups aren't running. Maybe I'll just take her to a cafe and hope there are some interesting people for her to look at.

I know that once she is crawling/walking, I will be amazed that I worried about this now...

Pop her in the pram and go for a walk.

Once the weather gets warmer, sit on a park bench and watch the world go by. Take a book.

Until then sit in a cafe. Take a book.

She will enjoy being out in the fresh air, seeing new things.

You do not need to stimulate her all the time, the fascinating world that she is living in does that for already.

I'm more worried that YOU are bored I guess. If you're happy doing housework/exercise/having fun and chatting to her, that's the best and simplest thing of all. don't worry about being 'antisocial' unless it's making you unhappy. This can be a very lovely period, don't stress out feeling you should be doing something else. Unless you are miserably bored and unhappy.

Well, I am a little bored.... But I feel a bit bad for saying so because it sounds as though I am saying that DD is boring, which of course she isn't at all.

of course your dd is not boring... but she is a baby, and babies are a bit boring tbh... though lovely too, thank goodness

ChooseyFloosy is spot on with her original advice.

I would elaborate but 5 month old drooling on keyboard! I'm sure its not good for it!