What do you do with your DCs whilst at home?

[Newbeginning1]

DS is 17 weeks old and due to finances im going to need to spend more time at home. When we are at home he seems to get grumpy and tired really easily & is sleeping quite a lot and so not really at night which also means im spending most of the day with my ass stuck to the sofa. We do walks to the park etc but i just wondered what everyone else does?

forgot to say - swimming is always a good one to tire them out as well if you can go to a local pool.

Hiya newbeginning I take DC out to Surestart stay and play only £1 all nice people there! There are also the drop in at the childrens centres if you have one locally.

We do baking cakes for snack. Keep meaning to try bread making.

Park, beach. Swimming is free for dc but not for
you and I don't do that cos need two adults for
2dc !

Glueing sticking painting. My friend does
mud pie making with her DC bur I'm nor brAve enough.

We bought yearly passes to zoo can go as often as we like! Also so Jo jingles music and movement does cost but surestart do free round here.

Oh and tv watching also lots

Finger paints
Tub of water with cups and spoons and lots of towels

At 17 weeks he won't be 'doing' much himself yet, but he will be interested in what's going on around him. Some stuff to try:

Put on some funky tunes and dance around like a loon - he can watch you from his bouncer and you can sway his arms a bit to the music, or you can carry him while you dance.

Do some baby yoga / exercises / massage with him.

Sing nursery rhymes, especially ones with actions, and repeat them often. He won't join in with the actions for a few months yet but when he does it's an absolute joy. In the meantime he'll love watching you do them.

Look at picture books together. At that age, my DD loved the cloth ones with crinkly pages.

If you can walk or get there cheaply, go to your local library. They sometimes have story time sessions, or if not the change of environment is good anyway.

Put him in a sling while you get on with the housework / gardening / whatever, and give him a running commentary on what you are doing, showing him items, naming them etc. Make it sound really exciting.

Ah soz newbeginnings I hadn't read thread properly could have sworn it said 17 months. My comments might not be that helpful.

Stay and play has toys for lil people and nice mums to chat with.

At 17 weeks you can just do whatever you want to do with baby in a sling - that is probably the most stimulating thing for your baby anyway.