What do you with your 7 month old at home?

[bunjies]

This is a stupid question I know but what exactly do you do with a 7 month old who can't sit up yet and hates being left in their very expensive GALT play nest? What do you play with them, do they have any special toys?

Take her out in her pushchair to shops, cafes, the park. Carry her about. Sit her on my knee and pull her up to standing and poke my nose in her tummy to make her laugh. Just sort of take her about with me while I do my stuff. She even comes to the optician, to my pedicure, around Sainsbury's. It is, admittedly, much easier at home once they can sit confidently, then you can give them wooden spoons to bang, and objects to handle. She does have baby toys. Is your dd ok on her tummy for a while? She could play like that. Otherwise put her in a bouncy chair so she has her hands free for playing with crunchy, noisy paper, little blocks she can bang together, pine cones to feel, anything where you can press it and it makes a noise and has varying textures. But don't expect much solo play at this age! Oh, and if she isn't sitting yet, does she still go under her babygym?

Bounce her on your knee while holding her hands and singing. Show her books while she's propped on your lap. Show her what she looks like in the mirror.

When dd was this age she spent a lot of time with me, in a bouncy chair or propped on cushions, watching what I was doing and "chatting".
Her favourite toys at that age were all things small and pointy belonging to her big brother . Anything age-appropriate was for wussy babies.

Give him a variety of different things to play with. Pans to bash, spoons to bash them with.
Also, put him in the high chair with stuff to mess around with. Let him get really messy (with water and bits and pieces of food and mash, then put him in the kitchen sink for a bath.

This is the stage before they can get about. They are kind of frustrated at not being able to move and want you to entertain them. Don't worry, he/she will be moving around soon and it gets easier. (mine's 8 months and crawling).

It's worth bearing in mind that frustration is a necessary part of motivation. In other words, it's fine to let them get a bit bored now and again as it prompts them to get off their nappies and move.

Door bouncers are quite good for a breif spell (though I think unfashionable).

Could well be time to ebay the baby gym though.

LOL spidermama at "prompts them to get off their nappies and move"!
my ds is getting on for 8 mths & so so nearly crawling, & so frustrated abt it too...

agree with aloha - all things singing, carrying, dancing around are good (tho fairly intensive for mum), ds has just discovered saucepan&spoon combo, loves it! if i'm really desperate, & need to get something done etc, a bit of cbeebies will entertain him for a short while. otherwise, getting out of the house (most anywhere, even to the supermarket) is def the best thing on a whingey day. hth

DD adored her door bouncer would put her in it for about 45 mins max a day and she would watch me hoover, she used to get so excited when she saw it coming out and would start bouncing before she was in it. I think they are great for keeping them in one place for a short period of time. I used to just leave DD on the floor and she would roll around she loved to roll.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I've been thinking about a door bouncer as she loves jumping up and down on her legs. I do put her in her bouncy chair but she gets fed up with this after a few minutes.

I'm almost ashamed to admit to this but dd is my 3rd child and I still haven't cracked this phase . I can't really remember with my first (he's now 6.5) and my dp looked after dd1 from 5 months so I didn't experience it. With dd2 I'm running out of ideas. Trips to the supermarket etc are becoming a regular event these days but it would be nice to be able to entertain her some way at home, especially when it's not so nice out. I know things will get better when she can sit up on her own but I don't want to wish her life away either.