Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

What do you do with your 12 week old all day?

28 replies

Katlow · 24/07/2021 15:03

I'm on maternity leave at the moment, currently go to a few baby classes but stuck at home more often than not. Struggling with what I'm supposed to be doing with my 12 week old all day

Currently we:

Play with bubbles
Sing songs
I'm trying to help him roll over
Talk to him
Pull faces at him
Try and encourage him to grab things
Bath time
Tummy time
Walks

But that only fills so much of the day. Any ideas? I don't want to be sticking him in front of YouTube as much as I currently am this young, probably about an hour a day as I'm getting serious guilt but I don't know what to do to entertain him sometimes

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
ElspethFlashman · 24/07/2021 15:08

You're doing more than I ever did!

Don't stress, looking at you is stimulation enough.

I used to strap them into the bouncer and pop it on the kitchen table and let them watch me potter around.

I also used to pop them in the sling and go to the shops. Any variety in scene for them.

UpToMyElbowsInDiapers · 24/07/2021 15:08

You don’t need to entertain him all day! It sounds like you’re doing plenty of things to stimulate him already (and personally I’d cut out the YouTube time).

On a nice day, put him on a blanket in a park outside while you chat with friends - he can look up at the trees. Go for coffee with other mums. Phone your relatives. Put him in an infant carrier or high chair to watch you while you cook. In short, try to balance what you do for him with a bit of stuff for you, and it will be easier to hold on to your sanity!

whateverintheworld · 24/07/2021 15:10

I also struggled with this and still do at 6 months! One good bit of advice I was given was that one of the best sensory experiences for a baby is being in a sling just watching you go about your day. After I was told that I would just put my DD in the sling and do chores and go for walks etc. She always seemed perfectly happy. Since I’ve been able to wear her outwards facing this is even better! She loves the food shop. Ps. Don’t feel guilty about YouTube - everyone does it I think (or everyone I know..)

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

0-3 months old 1st trimester 3-6 months old Babies & sleep
Original poster
Katlow · 24/07/2021 15:10

Oh my goodness I'm so glad to hear that, I've been feeling so guilty leaving him there "bored" I need to remember that everything is new and exciting to him. You can probably tell I'm a FTM so thankyou for the reassurance.

OP posts:
rosegoldivy · 24/07/2021 15:14

Everything you've said is fab for a 12 week old! Going walks, meeting other mums, friends, going for coffees, anything don't feel you need to cater your whole day to entertain them.
And I will admit I am guilty as fuck about using you tube, maybe more when DD was in the jumparoo so I could get housework done etc
Good old cocomelon.

Toastfiendish · 24/07/2021 15:20

This stage can be pretty boring...
I used to read to them (more for my entertainment than theirs), take them out for a walk in the carrier to have a look round. Put in the newborn attachment of the highchair whilst I pottered in kitchen, on top of the ones you have mentioned. Do not feel guilty - the classes and stuff are more to keep you sane. There are good baby sensory classes on YouTube if you want to have it on but be a bit more active - I really like an account called mummy pickles.

PotteringAlong · 24/07/2021 15:22

Why are you sticking him in front of YouTube? Put something on the tv that you want to watch and just cuddle him! You’ve got years of them talking to you about shite they’ve watched on YouTube! At 12 weeks they haven’t got a clue what’s on! Take the time to watch something you actually want to see Smile

Garman · 24/07/2021 17:46

Years ago babies weren't entertained at all at this age, they were minded/worn by their mothers while they did jobs around the house/land to survive, nobody cared or considered if a tiny baby was bored or not! They can't be bored at that age anyway, there's no need to do much at all, other than interact with them and generally keep them alive.

welshweasel · 24/07/2021 17:52

At 12 weeks I was watching a lot of box sets on Netflix, going for walks, baby groups, wandering round the shops, meeting friends. Did very little for baby, they just joined me doing whatever I was doing. Enjoy having a bit of time to do things you enjoy, as they get older more and more activities will have to be dedicated to them!

JustAWalkingTalkingCotBed · 24/07/2021 17:54

Our day consists of breakfast bottle, nappy change, bouncer while I then make and have my breakfast then nap hour or two, hour or two of nappy and bottle and playmat, hour or two of nap followed by same awake period, playmat/swing/bouncer all through the awake periods I'm singing, talking, blowing raspberries, making faces etc, peekaboo plush the occasional outing when I've got the energy Xx

firstimemamma · 24/07/2021 18:01

At that age you can just do things you enjoy and the baby will be ok e.g. coffee shop catch up with friends. Make the most of it as it goes quick and before you know it they really do need some kind of entertainment!

Fleetw00d · 24/07/2021 19:41

You're doing loads! I go on a walk a day and spend a fair amount of time with mum friends having coffee haha

Somuchgoo · 24/07/2021 19:43

Put them in a sling and just went about my regular day for most of them time. So went out places, shilling, saw friends, did baking, chores etc.

HighNetGirth · 24/07/2021 22:20

Make the most of the fact your baby (i) can't talk; and (I) hangs on your every word. You can say anything you like and enjoy your appreciative audience! I used to make myself laugh asking DS all sorts of things.

DisgruntledPelican · 24/07/2021 22:26

Bouncy chair, high chair, lying on playmat - & mostly watching me do things like laundry or cooking, in between specific playtime such as singing songs and rhymes, looking at books, playing with stuff like wooden spoons, teething rings etc. I just used to natter on a one-sided conversation with DS, telling him about whatever I was doing. Looking out of the window and telling him about everything we could see.

EmmaInParis · 27/07/2021 06:42

Have you got a foil blanket? The mountain rescue type ones, they sell them as sensory toys on Amazon. My baby was/is mesmerised by it and will happily roll around scrunching it for ages. Buys enough time to have lunch / a hot drink! Also, if in doubt, get out and go for a walk.

Kittykat93 · 27/07/2021 07:01

Why are you putting YouTube on for him for an hour a day? He's 12 weeks old..he really doesn't need that. They don't need loads at this stage, if you want to watch TV just watch it with him,

ShippingNews · 27/07/2021 07:05

@Katlow

Oh my goodness I'm so glad to hear that, I've been feeling so guilty leaving him there "bored" I need to remember that everything is new and exciting to him. You can probably tell I'm a FTM so thankyou for the reassurance.
Babies don't have the ability to get bored - they are learning so much just by looking around, hearing, smelling, tasting ! You don't have to bend over backwards to entertain them too.

I just used to put them in the bouncer and let them watch me doing the housework, or take them out in the garden so they could see and hear nature.

BertieBotts · 27/07/2021 07:18

You don't need to entertain a baby! Just let him lie down in a carrycot, on a play mat, in a bouncer etc. At that age having toys around that he can reach is a good idea as they love trying to grab things. Or the arches that go over them where he can reach to bat and kick things.

Of course spend some time interacting with him. But you don't need to be doing it every minute he's awake. In fact it's better if you don't - it makes them start to rely on you as a provider of entertainment, which becomes difficult once they are a toddler.

I quite like Janet Lansbury's stuff about baby play :)

www.janetlansbury.com/2010/08/independent-infant-play-make-it-happen/

riotlady · 27/07/2021 07:21

Honestly I pottered around the house and binge watched Mrs Maisel. Went for walks and to baby classes, chattered to baby while I did stuff. She used to love being in her bouncy chair by the window watching the trees. I don’t think little babies need that much entertaining!

endofjune · 27/07/2021 07:30

MN sometimes has a bit of a funny view about babies. Some probably are content just to lie there while you watch boxsets but mine never was at that age and none of the babies I know were either.

To clarify I don’t think they need endless entertainment and certainly not TV but mine was definitely better out of the house with things to look at, even if that was just a drive followed by a walk in the pram or sling.

Ironically now he’s seven months I can watch TV a lot more as ds can entertain himself a bit with toys.

Ds likes lights, if it’s possible to get a room dark and a light projector set up.

burritofan · 27/07/2021 07:30

At that age I entertained myself and the baby came along for the ride…

Coffee and cake with friends, lunch, big long walks (plonk baby in sling), reading a book, cooking dinner (plonk baby on playmat), gardening (plonk baby in shade), baby cinema (if this is open again it’s GREAT, enjoy seeing films on the big screen while you can/before it costs an arm and a leg in babysitting/all you can see is kids’ films).

Essentially small babies (if the “can be put down without screaming” sort) are ideal for “plonk on floor/mat/bouncer while you do whatever you want”. Eventually they crawl and bang goes your free time Grin

Chanel05 · 27/07/2021 07:38

Go for walks! We walked for at least 2 hours per day at that age and it was full winter.

Enjoy sitting in a cafe and having some quiet with a tea or coffee and some lunch a couple of times per week. I wish I could have done this but it was full lockdown when my dd was this age. She's 10 months now and is at the yelling stage because she wants whatever I'm having, even when she has her own lunch 🥴.

Echobelly · 27/07/2021 07:51

Bouncer, baby gym did for mine - those are fine. You really don't have to be constantly interacting and 'doing stuff', neither do you have to go to screens. It wasn't deliberate 'no screens', but I actually found DD didn't 'need' screens and she didn't start looking at them until she was about 2 - we're sort of putting expectations on them to be bored when really the whole world is amazing. Her favourite thing was playing with those little sachets of salt and pepper in cafes and restaurants when she was a toddler (mainly as I kept forgetting to bring toys Grin )