Guilt over not entertaining an 11 week old enough.......

[HarryB]

DS is almost 11 weeks old and is a dream really - sleeps through the night, rarely cries without a reason, very content, BUT he seems to get bored very easily. During the day inbetween feeds and naps, I put him in his kick & play bouncer, which he loves and on his playmat - again he loves it, and I do talk to him on and off throughout the day. However, I feel like I should be doing more like reading to him or finger puppets etc but he looks the other way and shows no interest unless it's hanging above his head. Talking to him is great until he gets bored (and I do too if I'm honest, plus get sick of the sound of my own voice). We have joined a baby group but that's just once per week. The weather is also awful so a walk is out. My question is, when you are stuck indoors, how long do you spend entertaining your babies? Any tips for a bit of balance???

Well if he looks away he's not interested.

He might enjoy hearing you sing to him.

I would just cart him around the house with me getting on with my own stuff and chatting to him about what I am doing.

Nursery ryhme cd's work well (and help you to learn the words!) And those lights that project onto walls and ceiling.

just keep a running commentary going all day about what you are doing/any old nonsense. I'm sure you don't need to be thinking about finger puppets and the like!

I took mine to baby massage classes that they really liked too (and I did too) and also did a mum and baby yoga class. B

Yes he does like music, so I will try the CDs. I do take him from room to room with me if I'm cleaning or doing the washing - unless he's sleeping that is.

Pollyanna, we have started massage class also, and bless him, he slept for 3 hours straight after.

You don't need to 'entertain' him as such, he's only a newborn! Reading is nice but not essential (ds loved those very early books you can get with black and white patterns and pictures of babies' faces).

Lots of cuddles/tickles/giggling up and down, watching you do stuff, getting out of the house EVERY day even if only for five minutes round the block. Oh, and put some music on or sing some nursery rhymes if you like. (I love nursery rhymes, first introduction to poetry/music AND handing down a huge slice of cultural history but most of all just fun.)

Ooh, when he's a little older, do a search for threads about (IIRC) heuristic play - fundamentally just putting lots of objects with different size/shape/texure in a box and letting babies explore them. Scraps of fabric, pine cones, stuff like that.

He's only 11 weeks old, he isn't going to expect you to put on a circus act for him. Just watching you do your daily stuff, talking to him, looking at photos and pictures, baby gyms are good too. Does he get upset when he is "bored"? Babies this age can get over tired v easily, maybe you are misreading why he is cheesed off. Don't worry that you are not doing enough, what you have described sound great and I bet you are a fab and entertaining Mum.

Thanks girls. I do most the things you have said so perhaps it's me thinking he's bored. He cries when he's overstimulated but can sometimes sit quietly and look abit grumpy, hence me thinking I'm not doing enough. First time mum syndrome I guess

Honestly, you sound like you are doing plenty. It can be difficult - sometimes its about entertaining yourself as much as them. My ds loved those fabric books with crunchy stuff in some of the pages and different textures he could feel. I think we also started Monkey Music at around 12 weeks which he loved and still does.

Any music, nursery rhymes, blowing bubbles etc.

And yes, Edams point about the heuristic play is great. I put loads of odds and sods into a blue glittery gift box and it was his Treasure box. He loved it and would go through it for ages. Keep changing the stuff in it obviously.

He could just be tired actually. He sleeps well at night but his naps are very short. I think he's also at the inbetween age between newborn and 3-4 months when they can naturally grasp things, pay more attention etc. It could all be my problem rather than his.