Running out of things to do with 9-month-old in winter

[surrealpotato]

Just that really. I'm solely in charge of baby from 9-5, at which point my DH takes over.

I feel a bit stuck. We don't have a lot of money, don't live within walking distance of anywhere, and the weather is grim.

I try to do as much as I can with her.... Free playgroups some weekday mornings, library rhyme time, swimming sometimes.

At home we fill some time by reading, eating solids, naps, some nursery rhymes, tummy time etc.

All that said, there are still large parts of most days where I feel she's bored. I definitely am!

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fill the time with her? I find myself resorting to sticking kid's telly on for her more than I'd like, which I don't feel great about.

I should also mention I'm four months pregnant so some activities are limited!

@Lightsandrainbows - it’s very true. It’s all a bit fuzzy now but remembering my son loved that and my daughter did not. My daughter did love her bouncy chair and my son lost his mind whenever I tried to put him in there. Babies are so random!

I used to spend the day narrating what I was doing, continually doing nursery rhymes and leaving the last word of each line to see if she wanted to repeat it, having carpet picnics, with all the teddies sitting round and my daughter, then later son, eating grapes, strawberries and bread sticks.
I pointed out everything as we went through the house, counted every time we went up and down the stairs, pointed at what was outside, did the animal sounds, colours, opposites (up/down, in/out, back/forward using a toy)
over & over.
Then we’d watch a TV show together , it was Teletubbies and Tweenies then, and we’d sing the songs together.
They are sponges and they want to learn.
The same when the new one comes, involve your daughter by narrating what you are doing.

TV is never great. It's ok. We all watch it, we all use it to keep the kids quiet sometimes so no judgement. But we're kidding ourselves to suggest it's 'great'. At absolute best it's neutral i.e. not causing them any harm.

Do the housework while she watches, cook while she’s in her high chair with a pot and pan to play with. Go for walks, lots of walks. Stick a snowsuit on her and push her on the swings for a bit. Do the supermarket shop. Potter around other shops just for her to be out. Stick her on the floor with different toys, just one at a time and then change it when she’s getting a bit bored. Had my little one in the depths of lockdown and that was our life for months!

I think nine months is still young enough that when you go out, do something adult focused rather than child!

Everyone is to fb when they say second children entertain themselves better as they just have to.

I have a 9 month old. She just does what I do - sits and watches me hoover upstairs, comes to the shops with me, watches me declutter, watches me stack the dishwasher while she sits in her high chair. I don’t do any groups or really play with her daily!

she’s my third. Siblings play with her after school

My baby is the same age and I’m a little envious you find yourself bored! Between his milk feeds, his three meals a day (preparing, feeding, cleaning up), cooking for myself and DH, chasing him round to change his nappy, and getting him down for naps, I never find time to be bored. Please tell me how you’re being so efficient!!

I find two short walks a day are essential to break things up for both of us, even if we do nothing but walk while out! I’m pleased we’re getting to the age where we’ll be able to stop and play on the swings :)

I’ll have to disagree on that as I do think it’s great. I think it’s fun, educational, enjoyable and loved curling up with my kids all cosy with Peppa Pig.

That said, my kids went everywhere when they were little and still do. Love walking, lived in the park, adore books (I could probably count on one hand the number of days in their life they haven’t read or been read to as babies), but enjoyed tv everyday. I think it causes absolutely no harm for most children who have a balanced day.

And what are you going to do then with a very grizzly bored 1 yo whilst you're feeding/changing/baby naps? You genuinely need to think up your own routine? I fucking HATE the cold, I would've rathered all 4 Dc ran amok in my living room tbh, but shit needs to become routine-ish or it all goes tits up! Need more ketchup sorta thing was a daily occurrence when my twins were babies, off we go in the pram to sainsbury then? Babies have snowsuits, cosy toes and raincovers, they're fucking grand, get cosy clothes for you!!!!

I remember this age well, having a walking toddler is so much easier! Round the corner is standing and toddler tower time, which was a game changer. My son walked at ten months so he was straight in that tower while I cooked, he "helped" with the food by oretendign to chop or taste stuff, I'd also fill thr kitchen sink with soapy water and put his plastic cars and things in it, so he could wash them, would happily do that for an hour (big mess but cleaning doesn't take long!) and meant I could cook as he was and is a fomo velcro child.

I'd put musical instruments or make drums around him and put on how to train your dragon orchestra on YouTube and we'd bang along to that for ages, a tuff tray with messy play is great too in winter indoors, you can get kinetic sand that sticks together. Although maybe they're still eating stuff at that stage, oh how I don't miss it!

Basically including them in chores helps fill time and you get more evening too, my son used to stand up and push the Henry hoover round while I hoovered, like a walker :)

Sometimes if i really ran out of stuff towards end of the day I'd put on moon and me and lie on my stomach on the floor in the living room and let him just climb all over me while watching that lovely gentle show. I got a deep tissue massage and he got a climbing frame 😅

Fill a low kitchen cupboard with Tupperware, wooden spoons etc. let her take them all out. Replace them. Repeat indefinitely……..

Coloured gauze cloths in a tissue box. Pull them out, stuff them back, drape over her face usually kills a lot of time……..

Pulling light books off a low shelf….

Oh yes we did this too. Low cupboard they can open and everything in there is safe for them to play with sitting on the kitchen floor. I have twins so they did this a LOT 😂

I took them out in the pram a lot too and sat in cafes having a coffee while they napped.

We also did a few baby singing and music classes, sensory play, library rhyme time.

Went to my mums a lot and other relatives, popped in for coffee etc. we were always out! In fact once weaned I tried to get out for one meal a day as it was simply too much mess. But that was easier in the summer.

I will say though as teens they are constantly on the go and don't like having a whole day at home ever so be careful 😀

Run a bath in the middle of the day and fill with bubbles/toys etc and let her play.
is there an ikea near you? Lots to look at and can play with toys in kids section.
pets at home also good for a wander round to look at fish/ guinea pigs/rabbits etc
Blow up a few balloons and let them kick/punch them

the weather is particularly bad at the moment but hopefully will change soon. 💐

It’s a tough age as lots of toys and activities are too tricky for them but, depending on the temperament of your baby, they’re also not content to just sit and do nothing. The insta account “busy toddler” has some good suggestions for this age - she calls it the “taby” stage.

I came to suggest an unlocked cupboard full of Tupperware but I can see it’s already been suggested! I was given a homemade sensory box at that age full of every day stuff - pipe cleaners, a sponge, a plastic filter, dyed rice in plastic bottles and it provided endless entertainment too.

One trick that helped me was to do like a nursery does and have a “theme” for the slow days if I didn’t have a class on. This helped me think of different ways to pass the time. Eg train day - play with brio, read a book about trains (trip to the library for one of we didn’t have one), go for a buggy walk and wave at the train going past or if there was an errand to run get on the train into town. Next day farms, next day boats, next day blue things etc. I found I had more ideas about how to pass the time when basing it around a theme. I’m not suggesting this for every day as you’d soon run out of ideas, but on the super slow rainy days it helped me!

So leave her grizzling and see what she does.

Swimming? I did things I wanted to to do during maternity leave, seeing friends/family, going to the pub at lunch time!

You’re honestly doing so much already, and feeling bored or stuck in this phase is completely normal — especially being pregnant too. Babies don’t need constant entertainment, so it’s okay to slow things down: rotate toys, use everyday household items for play, narrate what you’re doing, play music or sit together while you rest, and allow some independent floor time. Try not to be hard on yourself about the TV — a bit here and there so you can cope doesn’t undo all the good you’re doing. This stage is repetitive and draining, but you’re doing a really good job.

You are doing plenty.

She probably isn't bored. The world is so new to her that everything is exciting. It's okay to let her watch or 'help' with what you are doing.
Let her play with a mound of not too dirty clothes while you sort the laundry. Let her hand you a sock while you pair it. Let her play with a wooden spoon and a big plastic bowl while you cook.

Onee thing I liked, because it didn't make too much mess, was a water based drawing mat. This is a mat they can 'draw' on with water and the white turns blue. When it dries, it's just a white mat again. No tidying up required.

I found structure was very helpful at that age. I'd plan days around their nap times, so when they napped I was at home and got a bit of down time. When they were awake, I'd try to do at least one trip outside the house every day - could be all the things you say - free playgroups, library story sessions, or a quick visit to the park if it is warm enough. But it could just be a trip to a big supermarket or market. They loved riding a bus or train, looking out the window, riding in a supermarket trolley, seeing all the bright colours.

Then home for food, maybe a cuddle and singing or reading or playing.
I used a baby bouncer - they are not so popular these days but they will bounce happily from a doorway while you get dinner ready.

And it is okay to slob on the sofa with cartoons on for an hour a day if you are tired and pregnant.

I mainly saw friends, plus grups and walks and naps twice a day.

At 9mo a bouncy jumperoo is a good idea for some babies or those awful vtech table that they pull themselves up on.

If I was in the kitchen it was jumperoo or high chair with toys and I'd get on with baking or cooking.

If I had friends round we'd have the safety gates on, mats on the floor and toys out to play with.

Ds1 was just pulling himself up at 9mo and he would make a game of getting round the room holding on to stuff.

If they can walk early then they might one of those children who constantly want to be going up and down the stairs. It does get harder the more mobile they are but they also want to play with more toys. I don't think you have to entertain them constantly.