Help please, 5 and a half month old needs constant entertainment

[Usedtobechilled]

As the subject says, I have a 5 and a month old that I'm struggling to keep entertained during play time and he definitely cant entertain himself for a minute.
I might be asking for too much but currently my LO is not content when playing. He will sit in his bouncer and let me shower, wash dishes etc but once everything's done and it gets to lunch time, we're out of jobs and I try and get him to play. He's been rolling over for a few weeks now which means anything involving lying down ends in frustration because he'll roll on his stomach, get stuck and then get frustrated. Toys don't seem to hold his attention and all of this means that to keep him entertained I have to be doing something for him. Sitting down for even 5 mins is out of the question. Any tips? I'm knackered from constantly having to do "stuff". Ideal situation, he would sit with a toy and I could have a cup of tea, is this possible? 😂

Me too he is reading a STEM subject at Oxford and is a lovely young man, still utterly exhausting though.

In my experience you can have all the tech, up to date, flashing, expensive, colourful shit in the world, and what they actually like playing with is empty boxes, tupperware, pasta, wooden spoons, plastic bowls, etc etc. My nephew once spent an entire afternoon putting a bowl on his head and howling with laughter. Of course, incredibly unproductive in itself, because we were all compelled to watch him because it was just so funny.

This is so incredibly true and I’ve only just realised it on reading this (and mine are 1 and nearly 3 and have both been very much like the OPs DC!) Love this post @gardendream, I’m saving it to look back at.

@ShadowPuppets glad was useful. It’s been a total revelation to me to learn all this! It’s a pity it’s difficult information to find - I’ve only discovered it through paying for private psychotherapy and experiencing the same with my therapist.

Mine likes:

laundry! Plonk baby on bed next to/in pile of clean washing. Sort pile into what belongs to who. Apparently very entertaining. Also watching the washing machine from the bouncer is a guaranteed hit.

Walk around the house with him in the sling and stop at the things he yells to look at: he fucking loves the meal planner for some reason, and the bedroom curtains. Tea in a thermos mug for me, eat a biscuit and drop the crumbs on his head.

Pram, park, look up at the trees. I’ve managed whole ice creams and chapters on my kindle if the breeze is right and the blossom is out.

Waitrose to look at things and there’s always someone willing to coo and chat.

My MIL suggested my 10 month old has ADHD so I feel you. We go to a lot of classes/playgroups etc because it is soooo much easier to parent when you're out and there's other stuff to do. What toys do you have? I can't remember when I got them but the squeaky eggs are great from maybe 6 months?

Also lll get trashed for this but if you need to put heybear on and have a cup of tea... do!

Let him roll over on his Matt- put some toys out of reach and a mirror and he'll entertain himself for ages rolling back and forth!

You don't seem to realize when he's stopping and looking at things he's learning. It may look like he has a blank look on his face but it's not. He is finding his place in the world. You don't have to constantly entertain him.

I think this is what I need to accept, that I don't need to be doing something for him all the time. Also, @gardendream the suggestion about me being uncomfortable is an interesting one, are you saying I shouldn't rush to help him and let him grumble for a bit?

I appreciate everyone's suggestions for things to do but he's quite happy when I'm doing laundry etc, it's when I need a break that I'm struggling with as he's not happy unless I'm doing something but I want to do nothing for 10 minutes some days 😂 I feel like I'm constantly on the go, whether it's house work, walking, groups, just to keep him entertained, would just be nice to figure out how he can entertain himself so I can have a cup of tea but if hey bear is my only option then maybe some days I need to just accept it

Yep, a bit of grumbling is fine. It's what gets them reaching out or trying new things.

Yep exactly, let him grumble for a bit :) if you know there’s no danger, no physical need like nappy/illness/hunger, you know he’s going to be fine for a bit. It’s establishing that underlying okay-ness to life - feelings can go up and down and come and go but everything’s fine, everything’s safe. Enjoy your cuppa or a shower and reassure yourself, and in turn that reassures him that it’s safe to feel his feelings.

You need toys he can look at while practicing rolling. Tummy time toys, the concertina cards with black and white designs, the mirror toy that goes on the floor, the baby Einstein flashing arch shaped toy that makes sounds when they press it, a water mat with the foam shapes (fill with warm water).

Also a disco light type thing is good. Close the curtains and let him watch the lights on the walls etc. Also, engage him with a toy like the lights and walk away. Don't sit in his eye line to drink your tea!

OK, from tomorrow I'm going to try this. Obviously if he has a meltdown I'll intervene but I'll let him grumble and hopefully he'll learn to chill out a wee bit and not look to me every minute. Honestly, parenting is an absolute rollercoaster!

We have the tummy time pictures and mirror, he couldn't be less interested in them 🤦‍♀️ the water mat is entertaining for about 38 seconds and then he's over it because he can't get to the foam shapes. I will defo get a disco light and try that 😊

Yep, total rollercoaster! 😁Go slow, baby steps - maybe tomorrow he can cope with 30 seconds more, maybe next week he can cope for a minute. Don’t neglect him if he’s getting distressed obviously! You’ll know best. Good luck

Oh I really really feel your pain. My 6mo can't yet sit/roll/hold a toy for any length of time. Wants to be held up either sitting or standing. Is bored of the small amount of toys I have as she can't yet do anything with them. Only tolerates tummy time for a few minutes a couple of times a day. Only naps for 30min stretches. I am just over it today, it's so mind numbingly tedious. My older DC was already crawling by this point, which made life more interesting! I'm just willing her to learn to do something so the grumbling will stop!!

He's still so young they don't have the attention span to keep themselves busy for that long. All this interaction you're having with him is very good for him in the long run. You sound like you might need a break from time to time. Is there anyone who can step in while you have that cup of tea?

When they zone out it’s often through over simulation, and if he’s not napping more than 20 minutes this will happen quickly as he’s not well rested. Getting longer naps is worth persevering with.