A day in the life on an 11 month old

[mummaduke]

What do you do with your 11 month old all day??

Maybe I've had a tricky few days (teething etc), but I'm at a loss of things to do...

Today DS won't sleep, doesn't want to eat, will only play on the floor for so long before crying for me hysterically to pick him up... I'm exhausted!

We are signed up to weekly sensory classes, we go out for walks/to the swings etc... But what else can I do to entertain him (and me?!)

D'oh, typo in title!

Take him on a tesco shop so he can have a good nosey at All the other shoppers? (Better still in waitrose you can enjoy a free coffee too)

Agree, DS liked sitting in the trolley like a big boy at tescos at that age.

He also liked:

• going to the swings

• going to feed the ducks
• going swimming (a massive faff but he always napped well afterwards)
• going to rhyme time at our local library (we used to go twice a week when I was on mat leave!)
• Going to a number of different mum+baby groups at various local church halls. He would crawl around and put a variety of toys in his mouth. I would get a cup of tea and enjoy being in a room with some adults.(Netmums website has good local lists of all church hall type groups in your area).
• going to the local town centre for a mooch around the shops, stopping for a coffee/snack in Costa and then home again.
• Going the the local garden centre to look at the fish in tanks, rabbits etc. Some also have nice cafes so you can score a coffee at the same time.
• going to random elderly relatives house for 30 mins so they can make me a cuppa (noticing a theme?) and coo over DS whilst I collapsed on the sofa.

NB. DS is 21 months now and things are SO much easier now there are decent ways to keep him entertained - running round the park, kicking a football, going to soft play, doing puzzles/drawing/playdoh in the house etc.

Surestart centres- free sessions. Get to the singing groups with instruments.

Swimming- also free sessions run by surestart.

Get a library card, get books out every week.

Go for coffee or lunch. Somewhere baby can enjoy people watching.

Long walks, time them to coincide with your local primary school finishing- babies love seeing children and vice versa.

Go to the park and play on the swings.

Put him in the trolley and do the big shop while he eats crackers.

Put the radio on, and sing to baby while you cook up a storm, while baby sits in high chair snacking.

Go to soft play.

Get a few toys like a tunnel, ball pit, stacking cups (all cheap in asda). Bring them out on a rotation.

On a nice day, take a blanket and a few toys to the park, let baby watch the dogs going for their walks.

Sigh, I miss maternity leave.

It is sometimes worth just getting out for half an hour when they are in that mood. I often think I'm too exhausted but it'd actually easier to get out than stuck inside with a bored, tired and challenging baby!

Go go library to take out a book
Park to just watch the dogs/ feel the trees/ leaves
Buy a pint of milk in sainsbury
Feed him croissant in our local cafe
Change rooms- e.g play on the bathroom floor with the bath toys/ kitchen with the pots and pans.