How to pass time with 6 month old baby

[LifesAContradiction]

My DD2 is 6 months old and I feel like one booooring mama.

This is my second child. With DD1, I was great. I just knew to always be engaged, looked up games and was able to play them/prepare for them, take her to classes, etc.

But second time around? Nope! It's not happening! It happened so naturally the first time and this time I'm trying but it's still not happening!

Does anyone have suggestions of how to pass time with a six month old baby? She really liked to play and I feel sorry for her that she has me as her entertainment! Any ideas will be helpful!

How old is dd1? My dd1 is 4 and baby 7 months so baby just joins in with what we're doing for older one.

When we're on our own and dd is at Preschool, we go to a playgroup or a walk or baby sits and plays on mat/jumper whilst I sort house/watch some tele.

Maybe I'm a boring mummy too, but I think age appropriate toys and lots of opportunity to roll, sit and explore is all they need at this point!

Can she sit up yet? I've got the 7 month old surrounded by cushions and she's sorting through a box of second hand Duplo blocks (she chucks them all out, chews them a bit, I put them back, repeat...).

We're currently missing almost all baby groups because it clashes with morning nap time, and she's so bad at napping in the day that nap time has to be the priority :/ So I take her to do whatever I'm doing, whether that's on her play mat while I fold washing, or out to Boots to buy nappies and go round Dunelm. Sometimes we go to the National Trust place that's a short drive away and do the same lap of the grounds in her pram! She doesn't seem to mind that it's the same stuff over and over?!

If you're trying and still not engaged is there a chance that you are depressed OP. I have been a couple of times and this is usually how it manifests in me, I just want to not bother and can't really engage.

DD1 is 3, so she's at a good age but also needs a LOT of my attention, so feel like I can sometimes ignore baby (because I don't have energy for both). There's no winning in my mind. Maybe putting less pressure on myself will help! They really don't need much for entertainment do they.

No she can't sit up yet. And I have been wanting to do something like this for ages with her, while DD1 is in school but I keep sleeping my way through the morning.. I know.

Gives me some inspiration though! Thank you. Can try doing some small things with her here and there, I think it'll make a difference.

There is definitely an element of this.. thanks for pointing it out. Because I didn't connect me not being present with it. I have a session every month or two with a clinical psychologist, for postpartum care as I was afraid of PPD during pregnancy. Feel like the NHS would usually fob me off, thankfully they didn't. Pregnancy was so rough, if I didn't have this follow up care I don't know what place of mind I'd be in right now.

But you pointing it out has reminded me to write it down to bring up at my next session, appreciate it!

Do you mind sharing some things that worked for you to get through it? I don't know if that's the right question to ask.

I try really hard to plan nice things for DS, however over the last couple of weeks with Christmas prep he has basically just run errands with me. He’s absolutely loved it, sitting in the trolley babbling and getting attention from shoppers, wandering around the shopping centre in the sling before having a bit of lunch and milk in a Costa. Honestly the most boring things and he has been really content! He’s watching me clean the bathroom now while playing with my hairbrush.

Just getting us both fed, washed, dressed & the house relatively tidy can take most of the morning. And that’s ok. Sometimes we just cuddle in bed for ages, until DS falls asleep for his nap then I read or have a look on my phone, that’s ok too!

This is so lovely. Emphasises how much I really need to use the morning hours when DD1 is in school for bonding.

..got to sleep to wake up though. And that's a whole other problem!!

Medication and therapy helped. Changing jobs though was the biggest help as my Manager at the time was shocking.

I'm so glad that you're getting some support

Remember you are your babies favourite person. They basically get to hang around with their favourite person in the whole world all day. They’re happy just coming along with you. Do something you enjoy.

@TinyMouseTheatre thank you, I'm so glad for you that it got better. Hope you never have to go through it again! Appreciate the kind words.

@jolies1 this reminder I needed 🥹🥹 during my sessions, the doc hasn't said if it's PPD specifically as she doesn't want to label it as such, maybe so I don't think about it more, but I think it's definitely on the spectrum. I don't realise but I can make my baby feel like a burden - so I'll do everything I need to do, but huff and puff to myself?? Why. Why do I do it. I don't know but I check in with myself regularly throughout the day and fix it as soon as I can. Your comment is a nice reminder that I AM the lucky one, being able to spend the whole day with baby ♥️