Activities with a 5 week old...

[roundtheoldoaktree]

What sort of activities can you do with a 5 week old? I have been chatting to him when he lies on my knee facing me, or, he is fascinated by the jungle themed play mat. Just wondering what other new mums are doing?

Cuddle, chat, smile, sing. Thats about all the little ones can handle. You could look at baby shape books with him if you like. Right now its all bonding, give it 4 months and the games will start, so just relax and enjoy him.

My son is 6 weeks so I'm at much the same stage. He loves being spoken to face to face, it makes him smile and make noises, so I read to him. We've got some books for babies, the kind with shiny tactile bits and contrasty colours, but he doesn't show any interest in them yet. So I just read him bits from books for older children, poems, novels that I'm reading. I also sing to him, and he's just started responding to tickling games ("round and round the garden", "this little piggy", etc.)

He responds to some jingly and squeaky toys too (although very selectively - sometimes he's too busy having a staring match with the window or something), and has just in the last week started to respond to me wiggling soft toys in front of him, especially a rabbit we have with very long ears which he likes his face being tickled with!

Baby massage? (Not necessarily at a class, although that does give you a chance to get out of the house). My dd used to love it.

Generally I think babies can be easily over-stimulated at that age (think about it- they need a nap every couple of hours just to stay sane!) and are quite happy staring at things/ being talked and sung to/smiled at.

I think it is easy to over-stimulate! He loves just lying on my lap smiling and gurgling, or sitting in his bouncing baby chair looking around! I guess it just feels like you should be doing more; reassuring to read the posts and realise you don't need to at all and just follow instinct!

Relax - he will grow and develop without constant attention. Love is the key. But you are also allowed to ignore him for as long as he will tolerate it!

... I mean from time to time, obviously.