What to do in the day with a whiney clingy 16 month old? Ideas needed.

[KimKardashiansLeftButtCheek]

Hi I am wondering if anyone can help me come up with ideas to entertain my little moaner please?

He has always been a hard to please, clingy baby. He gets very frustrated and we seem to be running out of ideas.

We go swimming once a week, which he usually loves. We go out for walks in the pushchair (he's not yet walking though is crawling and cruising). He plays with porridge oats and likes playing with water. When I go to friend's houses he usually spends the time whining to get to things he can't have or else just generally being clingy and miserable. If people come to the house he is the same. just crawls around moaning to be picked up but then wriggling to get down, then crying again. I am embarrassed because it's so clear that I am crap at this stage.

What actual activities do your 16 month olds like? Around the home he seems to love emptying my washing machine, tupperware cupboard, opening and closing drawers and generally making a mess! He is very hard to please when DH is here and tends to whinge more for some reason when he is home from work. I don't know why but it's getting so that we go out all the time just to stop the whining. Any suggestions as to why he is like this and what I can do to help?

The situation with your DH, it sounds like he is trying to get more attention from him.

Try going to soft play? I always find that's good when you run out of ideas, bake cakes, if it gets too much, put him in the bath with toys and sit and talk to him, paint, watch funny animal videos, have a picnic on the floor with his soft toys.

Errr, will think!

Thank you. He is obsessed with DH. He gets a lot of attention and love from him but often cries if he just moves away for a second. He moans a lot because he's frustrated with not walking and talking much I think. DH is great with him but it's definitely becomming a strain!

I think it's something to do with the age as well, DS (19 months) will scream the place down if DP or I even go to the bathroom!

He wasn't like this a couple of months ago so I think it's just a stage.

Also - mines gets like this when he starts getting tired, I often realise he needs a sleep and that is why he is being so clingy and whiny (well when it gets to the extreme) even if he doesn't actually seem tired IYKWIM?

how about 'snow'. this is very messy and lots of fun so do on a tarpaulin

take one child and one roll of toilet paper.
Plonk child in middle of tarp and get them to shred the toilet paper.

Once this is done give child a jug with about half a pint of warm water.

give child approximately 1/4 of a bar of soap that has been grated.

mix all 4 ingredients ( child water paper and soap) until pulp/snow is formed.

this snow can then be made (by you) into snowmen, which he can splat,
castles, pies, and anything else your imagination comes up with.

I tried this last week with a 2 year old and an 14 month old. both loved it.

Oh and if you want to add paint..... ooh the possibilities are endless!

If the clinging is physically hard for you, would suggest you try a hipseat - both mine went thru a clingy stage & it helped my back & left me with one hand free to get on with stuff.

Agree about the baking - at least you'll have something to enjoy together / offer any visitors.

DD2 loved sand & water at that age so would just strip her off either in the bath or outside & let her get messy.

Dry cornflakes are also fun - noisy & hoover-able & edible.

It will get better., esp once he can walk. A toddletruck might help wear off some of the excess energy / frustration.

A music CD with lots of loud clapping / actions that you can put on and do together. Will help your baby get used to you being physically present but not holding him.

Have you got a baby walker? That might help his frustration a little if he has a way of getting about. My 15 month old dd likes seeing the animals at the farm, going to soft play and messy play, going on the swings in the park, going to a music group where she gets to bash instruments together and going to mums and tots groups where she can see other children and have different toys to play with. So see what is going on in your area that he might like. At home we do things like putting cushions on the floor and letting her crawl and roll over them (she thinks that is hilarious), using a wooden spoon and upside down saucepans as a drum kit, playing in the garden, playing peekaboo with a sheet, building with Mega Blocks, etc - it is hard to keep them entertained my gets restless and wingy too. I think just take him out and give him plenty of new things to look at and you will find he will be less frustrated when he's able to move around.

Hi, Thanks for all the tips!

Notsoyummy we did have a baby walker til I sold it last month because DS could never make it move and just cried to come out. He doesn't like being restrained I think. He loves to crawl around and explore but it's just hard when he's crawling away whinging constantly.

He doesn't want to be sat on me all the time but doesn't want me to put him down either! He sees an odd mix of independence yet wants to sit on us while he juffles about and dives out of our arms. It's hard to keep him contained and he seems so generally annoyed with life at the the moment. He's never been an easy baby as such but since crawling it seems harder to keep him occupied and safe! He's lovely but he is so demanding. I suppose it doesn't help that he has the mind and stubborness of a toddler yet is trapped in a baby's body, it's a strange age where he's sort of in limbo.

We took him to farm last week but he just wanted to get out of the pushchair but didn't want to be held either, he wanted to crawl around with the animals which is obviously not an option! He seems to be so cross with everything. He likes soft play. I am looking forward to better weather so we can let him splash about in water and sand outside.

I just feel a bit guilty because I seem to spend my days not getting much done and just counting down to bedtimes. He's so much hard work at the moment and I know it's not his fault at all but sometimes he doesn't seem to be enjoying life much and that makes me sad. I keep thinking it must be my fault.

I think tiredness is perhaps a problem, he sleeps 12 hours straight at night and does have an hour long nap in the day but he probably is still tired from all the crawling around, he yawns and rubs his eyes but won't settle for another nap in his cot or even when we take him out in the pushchair or out in the car, he's too interested in everything I think!