Keeping 14 month old DD entertained!

[lenalove]

Just that really! My DD is 14 months old and is SO energetic! She can walk but isn't confident without holding onto my index finger so drags me around all day which is pretty exhausting. She's very switched on and wants constant stimulation and engagement.

She usually naps over lunchtime and then afternoons just feel like such a drag until bedtime.

Can anyone walk me through a day with a similar aged toddler for "inspiration" haha!?

And any ideas for ways to keep her entertained that aren't knackering for me??

For reference I have her at home with me 3 days a week and my mum has her 2 days whilst I'm at work so she's not in nursery.

When my son was this age it was exhausting!! But I found that doing a ‘big’ activity either in the morning or afternoon (depending on when you have the most energy) and smaller independent activities on the other side of the day worked best. To build up her independent play skills I started an activity with my son and as he became interested I slipped off to do the washing or something. When he would come and get me I would rejoin the activity and again slip off when he was distracted. I found that overtime his tolerance for independent play slowly increased giving me a little time to catch up on life!

An outing once a day. Playing at home the other side of the nap.

An outing could be:
Park
Library
Walk to the post office / post box
Journey on a bus
Playgroup / stay n play in local church hall (for a few quid)
Baby/toddler class - we like sing and sign
Swimming
Soft play
Walk in the woods/seafront/field - wherever is near you
A trip to a cafe.

Playing at home could be:
With toys they can build and create
Stacking cups
Puzzles - like 2 or 3 piece puzzles
Making a sofa slide (or climb a pikler triangle if you have one)
Reading stories
Dancing to songs / nursery rhymes
Baking! (We liked to make jam buns and gingerbread at the same age as your little one, banana nice cream in the summer)
Chores - let them put the washing in and out the machine. Let them hang the washing. Let them out away their own clothes in their drawers, item by item. It takes longer for sure but they engage at this age
A sock fight across the room with balled up socks before putting them away.
Changing the bed sheets - don't forget to roll in the duvet and jump on the pillows and the bed
Vacuuming - let them hold an attachment and follow you around while you vacuum.
Dusting - give them a baby wipe for the skirting boards.

Anything really. "Mummy's doing this, come and do it with me!"

Library rhyme time, play cafes, play groups, council soft plays (tend to be a bit cheaper?). I find it less tiring being out in the world, otherwise the hours crawl by! Do you do any classes together? Might help wear her out. Afternoon swim? Again some council-run gyms run toddler splash sessions in the week. Nature trails where you can have a coffee?

If you want to stay home I’d probably be scouring charity shops and Vinted for some cheap secondhand toys to rotate for interest.

I hear you, it’s an exhausting age!

We liked being out of the house as much as possible at that age. Classes every weekday morning, playground time, picnic lunch and buggy nap (so I could get my steps up) and an afternoon activity like another class or soft play in the afternoon. At weekends we did bigger trips out with DH (eg historic house, an all day trip to a giant soft play further away, zoo). I think you just have to keep them busy and make the most of the local activities around you.

Second everything said above about out the house in the morning home for lunch nap then something for the afternoon.

Kids love to do what your doing so agree with chores together. The biggest winner for me ay that age was putting DC in a nappy in the sink or on the draining board with a plastic jug / cup / wooden spoon/ whisk and the cold tap on slow. Some time a little dish soap to mix up bubbles. Honestly theyd play in the sink on the own like that for almost an hour 😂

Before the swarms arrive, I mean independantly, not on their own unsupervised 😇

Swimming and Softplay are both great options for physical kids who aren't up to running round in the park yet.

You could also make an assault course at home. A play sofa (sofa made of softplay blocks) can be a great investment or just use your actual sofa cushions/pillows/duvets etc.

Get her something to push around, that will save you being dragged round by the finger!

Take her to lots of playgroups so she can mer other kids and play with different toys.

Balls are great for indoor and outdoor play. Bubbles also good. And balloons.

Make her a treasure basket/bag for stimulating self-led play.

And then all the normal stuff; books, jigsaws, shape sorters, role play, messy play, walks etc.

Box of safe stuff from the kitchen..wooden spoons, pans to hit, whisks etc.

Paint brush, bucket of water and the fence.

Trip to the swings
Stay and play
Water play table in the garden
Hide and seek (my LO, similar age, toddles round the corner and I say "Where's baby gone?" And they run back giggling).