ways to keep a 6month old entertained ??

[Lopsidale]

Just looking for advice and tips on how to keep a 6 month old entertained whilst I get on and do jobs around the house. I can put him in his cot for five minutes until he gets grumpy and wants to be carried around. If the telly is on he'll watch it but only for a short while. How does anyone else cope trying to get things done whilst having a baby attached to your hip? I find it impossible to do anything!

I do the biggest bits of cleaning etc once she's in bed for the night.

If I must do stuff when she's awake then I pop her in her bouncy chair / bumbo / jumperoo and chat and sing to her while I do the chore. I just make up silly songs about loading the dishwashers or whatever, she finds it really funny.

I had somewhere to put Dd in every room in the house, and by 6 months she was sitting reliably so was happy watching me/the washing machine/ lying on activity mat.

Get some mirrors and put up at their height so they can lay on the floor and look at their reflection

Sit them in high chair near you

Put him in sling on your back

DS is 5 months so a bit younger but I have a seat in almost every room (bouncer, bumbo etc) and I just plonk him in and do what needs to be done whilst singing usually! If I give him a toy or something that keeps him reasonably occupied but to be fair I do most chores while he's napping!

Can he sit up unaided yet? I found thins got much easier once DS could sit. He played with Tupperware, wooden spoons, saucepans etc on the floor. Also we BLW so he used to play about with food and snacks etc which used to take up lots of time.

I have a lil gym mat so he spends a lot on that.. He gets bored if I leave him in his cot.. I also have a snug in the kitchen when I'm cooking so I put lil toys which keeps him occupied.. I usually leave him on his lil gym mat.. It's brilliant..

Don't you have a bouncer?? I have a swing but feel like he gets bored quickly wants to get out

I've always had to do my jobs whist DD sleeps. She wouldn't tolerate being put down and 'left' (her definition of leaving is moving more than a foot away) when she was very little. Once she started crawling, and later walking, she would spend all her time either undoing what I'd done, or would take the opportunity to wreck the joint/try to cause herself harm. At 18mo I've accepted it's pretty pointless trying to get anything substantial done whist she's awake but hoping getting her play kitchen for Xmas will buy me some time in the new year.
When she was younger I'd sometimes sling her if a job really needed doing and she wouldn't watch me. This only worked for some things as she was still in a front carry at 6mo and I found it really restrictive, but perhaps worth a try?

Slacking - you could have put in a back carry much younger if you wanted. Think of all the women who carry newborns on their back to work in fields in many parts of Asia and Africa. A bit late now but it's possible for any future children if you like.

She didn't like it Art. She would go in a hip carry, but wouldn't go on my back until nearly a year.