Babies in gardens

[Judyandherdreamofhorses]

I've got lots of gardening bits and pieces I want to do with my 3 year old. Unfortunately, the baby (10 months) won't let us! Has anyone got any great ideas for entertaining a baby in the garden, safely? He won't sit in his pushchair.

He wants to join in, which is fine, but it's gathering up materials and things to get started that I'm having problems with. Can't carry him while I lift compost bags and pots! We have a dog too and, although obviously I pick up after him, I daren't leave baby to roam free on the grass.

I know it's not a major problem. And not a gardening one really.

How mobile is he?

sling / carrier on your back?
or wait for nap times (assuming your 3yo doesn't nap anymore)

Do you have an activity centre/travel cot/ playpen you could set up outside? He might be a bit happier if he was slightly more free to move around than in a pushchair? I have this prob with my 14 month DS too - I just want to do 1 hour of gardening!!!

He's bottom shuffling quickly - so mobile. Travel cot is a good idea. I'll try that. Sling on my back is fine for some things but quite restrictive.

Naptimes?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

or can you train your dog not to go on the lawn?

A sand pit!

Get one with a lid to make sure the sand stays clean (keep cats out) just in case he tries to eat any.

I've got a paddling pool and some balls - cost £15 in all - and DS (11 months) is sometimes happy playing in there whilst I potter somewhere else. I've also put a beach tent up in the garden and put big toys round the outside rim, which seemed to keep him happy.

Alternatively, station him under a clothes horse. Because nothing is as funny as taking all the clothes off the airer when mummy's back is turned.

We do have a sandpit. I should just take advantage of the times he's happy in there. And balls in the travel cot. Thanks.

Now, finding time to get out there. Must do some planting!

Mine is littler but quite likes his swing.

Also the boat swing (TP pirate swing) which he just lies in and stares at the sky

playpen/cot is a good idea

or a little playhouse with a door that divides in half

and a trampoline with enclosure when he is a bit bigger?

Put dog in kennel or similar and let baby roam free on the grass otherwise what is the point of having a garden.

DS went to sleep in the pirate boat swing - I would rig up blankets to shade him from the sun.

I used a paddling pool filled with balls to entertain DS while I pottered. It had a UV sunshade attached too.

Some great ideas, thanks?

funnyperson, if I were to do that, you could say what's the point in having a dog? I'm not suggesting there's poo all over the garden! Just that the grassed parts aren't the most baby friendly.

Can you make a new, small lawn for the baby, fenced off from the dog? Pop a small playhouse in there etc.

I'm thinking of that maybe, yes. DD has a playhouse and sandpit so might just fence around those, adding some planting, perhaps.

judy if there is competition between dog and baby in the garden I would choose baby and get rid of the dog. As you can gather I am not a doggy person and cannot abide dog poo in gardens or public places. Friends who have labradors have them well trained to poo on walks where they pick up the poo in plastic bags and put them in dog poo bins and would not accept dog poo in their gardens with their babies due to the risk of toxocara etc.

Anyway, on another tack, babies and toddlers love crawly tunnels in gardens and tents and sheets in tent shapes hanging on lines. Also paddling pools (well supervised and very shallow).

I think any kind of 'enclosure' ideas are only temporary as pretty a) he's unlikely to like them and b) soon he will be toddling and then he'll want the run of the place! We just made our garden as safe as possible and let the baby roam, in fact she is doing it now (15 months) happy as larry scooping soil from one big pot to another. Only ate some once, quickly learned it was disgusting!