Entertaining 5 month old - I'm going mad!!

[Writerwannabe83]

Hi all - I'm in need of some inspiration as to how to entertain my DS.

We have reached the difficult stage where he has learnt to roll onto his front so his play mat is no longer appealing to him. He used to love it but now he just rolls on his front, gets stuck and cries. I roll him over, he rolls back, gets stuck and cries again and it's an endless and very pointless cycle. I find myself getting frustrated because I just don't know what to do.

I pick him up and get books and toys out to play with whilst he's on my lap but it isn't long before he starts grizzling and squirming because he doesn't want to keep being held. I put him down, he rolls on his front - and you know the rest.

I think he and I are both getting fed up.

I feel like my day is just one repetitive cycle on him rolling and crying as me rolling him back for him to do it again instantly.

I have looked online for things to entertain and distract with him but I just feel overwhelmed.

Has anyone got any advice or tips on how they managed this phase?

Oh god I remember that awkward phase well! Not sure if they're the 'thing' now (my dc are 9 and 6) but have you thought about a doorway bouncer or one of those circular play station things that they sit in? (Sorry can't remember what they're called!). Or would he sit propped up by pillows/cushions with toys to play with?

I let him get on with it sometimes, or out a book in front of him so he could have a go at the pages. I had his high chair too, so I sometimes sat him in that so he could see what was going on. It is a grizzly time though, I think while it's warm, go out as much as you can, hang out with other babies for a bit of a break.

Definitely prop him
Up on things and let him play with toys. Ds also used to love "sitting" on the bed and falling over. Endless entertainment. And good practice for strengthening abdominal muscles. He was sitting up alone shortly after 5 months.

Also try a bumbo or similar?

Have you tried a door bouncer or a jumperoo? Are you doing any activities like swimming?

I have just ordered a bumbo seat

We bought a door bouncer yesterday only to find when we read the instructions that babies can only use it once they are able to sit up unsupported. I was quite annoyed actually as that information should be on the outside of the box so people aren't buying things they can't use!!

In going to go and ring the swimming baths about baby sessions!!!

Our door bouncer only needed them to be able to support their head? I nct see why they need to be able to sit up unaided.

A Jumperoo will save your sanity!

Also prop him up on the floor surrounded by cushions with some toys in front of him.

My ds loved playing with empty plastic cups and bowls too.

yy to a Jumperoo

Try various 'toys' on the floor to encourage him to stay contentedly on his tummy for a bit. Even bath toys, some stuff out of the plastics kitchen cupboard etc. A shallow bath so he can spend some time on tummy again. A sling or wrap to carry him around for a bit? That's all my ideas sorry, I have a young one too but she has an older sibling and cats in the house that entertain her.

As PP said, a jumperoo is your best friend. My nearly 6 month old has just happily bounced around for 30 mins while I've been cooking. We dug it out the garage a few weeks ago (he's DC2) and instantly remembered what a god send it was!

Try and borrow a jumperoo before buying. Mine both hated it. Same with the bumbo actually.

All I can say is it might not be long before he's sitting - both mine were by 5.5 months, so its a short-ish phase a lot of the time.

Agree with what everyone has said - get baby in a safe seat or bouncer near you. And make sure you are doing lots of singing and chatting. They love that sadly

A jumperoo would be good. Sit him in bouncer to watch you doing things, walk in pram. Or leave him roll and get frustrated sometimes as it will help him learn to roll back.

Ah I remember that phase well! Rest assured it gets much easier when they can sit up unsupported, hopefully that isn't far away for you. I rotated between the bumbo, jumperoo, lying on the playmat with toys, sitting in her baby bjorn bouncer playing with toys (the only bouncy chair she liked) and going for walks in the pram or sling. I also made sure we went out somewhere at least once a day, e.g swimming lessons which we've done since 11 weeks, meeting a friend or just taking DD to a cafe on my own. Its hard again now she's crawling as she hates being held at all and wants to be exploring all the time; I'm constantly following her around the house stopping her from playing with electric cables and tormenting the dog!

It's not pointless. The rolling and getting frustrated is part of him being ready to crawl-a very exciting stage. He is trying to build the muscles in his back. Get down on the floor with him and play/ sing/ tickle. When he's tired and grizzly go out for a walk. Spend time in the fresh air. This is only my view, but I feel surrounding them by plastic and toys and propping them in seats etc. may be overstimulating for the mind whilst not best supporting physical development. He needs to get frustrated in order to want to move and discover his surroundings.

Bumbo fab ....until that comes prop him up lots of cushions ....pillows etc. Dd used to go wild in her door jumper thingy she loved it

A high chair was my saviour, I could put my then 5mo in it for a good half hour and just keep swapping toys, great fun - building towers with blocks for DD to knock them down, over again. Great for playing peekaboo under the little table bit too.

My DD is now 7mo and playtimes are a lot easier.

Enjoy :-)

I don't really do any entertaining - I'd leave him on the floor to start rolling around and getting himself about, jumperoo or put him in a sling if you are doing stuff.

That five month stage is tricky. I didn't buy a bumbo but used to prop baby up with a lot of cushions, also used the high chair

Then my SIL gave me a bath seat thing that was great for those few weeks

My friend gave me a baby walker yesterday and it has been a life saver!!! DS absolutely loves it!!! I put a variety on toys on the tray and he stays amused for ages!!

Tomorrow we are putting together the baby bouncer - I'm thinking that as he will only ever use it under supervision it doesn't really matter that he can't sit unaided. I'm guessing the seat and straps are very secure and DS has excellent head control so we are just going to go for it!

I'm currently bidding on a bumbo seat on eBay and I'm the top bidder so far

Is the walker the sort he can move around the room in? Just be careful and supervise as they've been known to tip if they crash into things at the edges of rooms. Ditch it after he's sitting too or it can encourage them to walk 'tippy toes'.

But if it gets you through the next month or two, yes, god send!

It is one that moves but he can't manage to so that as his feet barely touch the floor - he's quite a short baby We only sit him in it when we're in the living room with it. I totally get where you're coming from regarding the tipping as they look pretty flimsy and I can see how it could happen - thanks for the tip!!

Ha ha. Short baby clearly a v good thing in this case. Hope he continues to enjoy it.

Jumperoo, baby walker, door bouncer

Baby walkers dangerous if unsupervised (because they can tip down stairs and because they can reach stuff that would ordinarily be inaccessible) - if you supervise closely he should be fine

DD didn't like the bumbo sorry! (too folded in half I think) but I did prop her with cushions for a similar effect.

5 months with a demanding/easily bored baby was hard work - I remember carrying DD around a lot and showing her the mirror, door, windows, playing row row row etc

6 months, or whenever they can sit and grab stuff, is a lot easier. Hang in there!

PS this is definitely against the rules but we used to put thick books (dictionaries) under DD's feet in the jumperoo till she got tall enough!