Struggling to appear positive for baby

[emilybrook]

Does anyone else go through periods which you just feel like their putting on a show for your LO when you’re really struggling to feel happy day to day.

My girl is 7 months old and just constant. Usually I really love playing with her and find our days east but recently she’s going through a sleep regression and just seems to be miserable unless I’m entertaining her. She can’t crawl yet and I think her frustration at this isn’t helping her mood.

All day I feel like I’m having to be smiley and interact with her so she doesn’t get upset. Finding new things to do in the house is challenging, often I’ll just be finding her any object to entertain her for more than 30 seconds. Then I feel so guilty that I need a few mins on my phone or make myself food just to mentally unwind. Maybe I’m being selfish and should just be interacting with her 100 percent of the time. Any tips from people who have been through similar?

Household objects are perfect entertainment
No knives obv

Right here with you. Some days, like today, I really struggle with the constant false & over exaggerated grinning, jumping around, being silly just to entertain my LO who is entertained only by me throwing ALL my energy into things. But I know if I don't, were both bored & that leads nowhere good. Partner doesn't understand how draining it is either. Rainy days are the hardest.

Must caveat that most days are good. Just not the ones where I'm too sleep deprived to function on my own, let alone entertain a baby (4mo in my case).

I think it's normal to have a few lower days. Tomorrow will be better!

Don't worry , you can't entertain her all day long! You need to look after yourself too so if that means giving / showing her something to entertain her while you take a break or make some lunch so be it. My 5 month old seems very entertained sitting in his bouncer watching me do chores sometimes or watching me make a sandwich . Obviously I don't just leave him there all day but if I need to unload the dishwasher or make a cup of tea I put his bouncer in the kitchen and he seems happy enough. It won't be long until she's crawling and loving life with you chasing after her all day lol

On days like this I go out and about. Just go for a walk or to a local park - makes us both feel much better

I feel like the lack of sleep definitely hasn’t helped either of us. I just feel so guilty for not always loving our days together! 😂she is my everything and I just want to be the best mum I can be every day but don’t feel like i am at the moment. I know like everything in life this is a phase but I’m struggling to keep this in mind.

I could have written your post myself. My LO is almost 5 months and she's miserable unless I'm throwing myself into fun animated play time. Earlier I looked away from her as I lifted my glass to take a drink and she started crying because I'd taken my eye contact away. I felt so defeated. In the end I took her up to bed and we snuggled and I fed her to sleep which meant I got to lie in bed for a couple of hours (absolute bliss!!)

Ahh me too OP! My little boy is 6 months old and my health visitor said to me “can’t you just put him on his play mat and get on with the cleaning?” I was like errr yeah, for like 10 mins and then will be looking for me to interact with him again. She made me feel as if this isnt normal but I think it is.

I just think he’s such an inquisitive little baby that he needs human contact to flourish. I keep trying to tell myself this is definitely a good trait for a child to look to those around them. Humans are after all, social creatures and we rely on each other so much. The more they try to communicate with us, hopefully the more socially confident they will be as they grow up. We are doing more than just entertaining them. We are teaching them how to read emotions on peoples faces, different tone of voice, helping their vocabulary and so much more!

They are only babies once and they will soon become more independent. I think once they are more mobile and can find entertainment in the world around them we will have other challenges. I am trying to enjoy this stage before it quickly evolves onto the next one. Just like when I think back to his newborn stage. It was only 6 months ago but feels so long ago. Time flies, so let’s enjoy this phase when we are their whole little world!