So what do you DO with your babies all day?

Jessica - posted on 12/21/2009

BUBBLES!! my son loves when we play with bubbbles and when thye touch him i tell him what body part it is. It helps him learn and he thinks it's so funny!

Kristin - posted on 12/18/2009

I work out with a mom's group called Stroller Strides. We exercise with babies in tow and then have play dates and mom's nights out. It's a great way to get in shape, socialize and get out of the house. Plus, I'm giving a great role model for physical fitness. They have groups all over the country. Check 'em out!

Karen - posted on 12/18/2009

Quoting Anita:

Quoting Karen:

i don't have much time before baby wakes up so here's a list! : )

put baby in a sling/front carrier and dance to music or your own singing in front of a full-length mirror. my little one laughs every time.

exercise with your baby. have her lay in the floor beside you while you do stretches or floor exercises. you can use her as weight and lift her up and down too!

songs with hand actions (finger play?) - eency weencey spider, wheels on the bus, pat a cake, twinkle twinkle little star. youtube has videos to teach you if you don't know the words/actions

books - 6 months is a great age to start reading together if you aren't already

peekaboo, funny faces

baby in the carrier facing out can "help" you with laundry and some chores (not cleaning with chemicals or cooking though)

jumperoo (20 minutes per day twice a day) and play gym (20 minutes per day)

blow bubbles when the weather is nice

walk (once a day - 30 mins to 1 hr)

go to the mall and show baby all the animals in the pet store!!

name things and make the animal noises - "this is a cat. meow meow."

hold baby on my lap while i play piano

when she's cranky we watch a couple short sesame street videos online. i know you're not supposed to let your baby watch tv until 2 years old, but it really helps when you have a fussy, teething baby!

my baby is very active and doesn't sleep much during the day so we do a lot! hope some of those ideas help!

 

 

Gawd, How do you fit all of this in? I am a stay at home mum with a 6 month old and 16 month old and I am lucky to have 10mins to play with her, most of the time I am .... washing clothes (4-5 loads a day), washing up, vacuuming, cleaning up after my 16 month old, hanging the clothes up, preparing breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, changing nappies (for 2 babies), bathing both babies, answering any business calls that come in (we have 2 businesses), did I mention tidying up?  I am on the go from 5am until late at night, actually I don't rest because I am up at night feeding my 6 month old.

I might start a new post because I am wondering if I am doing something wrong, it seems like I can never rest, sit down or even eat some days.....

to be honest, i don't do much housework and i only have the one baby right now and no pets. the chores i do on a daily basis are laundry, groceries and loading/unloading the dishwasher. cleaning the house is only once every 1-2 weeks when hubby can help or we have people coming over. lol. i do a simple breakfast (cereal and fruit), don't always have time to make lunch unless baby naps but if i do it's usually leftovers from the night before (i pack leftovers for hubby's lunch too) so i just have to heat it up, and i keep lots of stuff on hand to make quick easy & nutritious dinners. hubby plays with baby when he gets home so i can make dinner and he bathes her while i clean up in the kitchen and take a shower or tidy up. guess i'm lucky hubby is very hands on & rarely works late. i don't think you're doing anything wrong - with two kids, there's twice as much work for you to do!

Melissa - posted on 12/18/2009

Hi Deborah! I feel the same way. My daughter was born June 29th and I, too, would like to know what other moms do with their 6-month-olds...other than take trips to Target. ;)

Deborah - posted on 12/18/2009

wow! thanks for all the amazing responses! i'm going to need a little more time to re-read some of them! :} It's great to know I'm not the only one with some anxiety over how to fill up our days...
It sounds like I need to get a jumper for my daughter.. I think she would really love that! I also like the idea of moving around the house...
THanks everyone! What a great community of mommas!

Kelly - posted on 12/16/2009

Close Anita, im from NZ, whereabouts in Aussie are you ?
Glad I helped! a sixteen month old and a 6 month old , you're allowed to be relaxed when you can !

Loreal - posted on 12/16/2009

thanks for posting this. i'm also a SAHM and i was wondering the same thing! i even printed one of the responses out :-)

Anita - posted on 12/16/2009

Quoting Kelly :

Hey Anita :-) , thanks , im all very new to this circle bizz, so wary of offending people , I can be pretty blunt ...Im a lot like that too, I just make it all up as I go along , im a lot more relaxed this time around , the joys of the second child huh ?

Don't worry, I tend to worry that I am blunt too lol. Must be because we don't have enough time in the day with looking after littlies (mine are 16 months old and 6 months old) so everything is rush rush these days. The second one is SO much easier, I agree.

and I think a Jumperoo must be like a Jolly Jumper, there must be a lot of mums here from USA (I''m from Aust, assuming you are too?)

Thanks again Kelly, you have really put my mind at ease because lately I was thinking that maybe I should have more of a routine and was stressing about it and then when I read everyone's posts I nearly passed out thinking that I wasn't doing enough with my 6 month old. but when you have a 16 month old too, you don't have much time on your hands to be playing all day (unless I had a babysitter or daycare or nanny lol..).

Kelly - posted on 12/16/2009

Hey Anita :-) , thanks , im all very new to this circle bizz, so wary of offending people , I can be pretty blunt ...Im a lot like that too, I just make it all up as I go along , im a lot more relaxed this time around , the joys of the second child huh ?

Anita - posted on 12/16/2009

Quoting Kelly :

I am a second time mum , and because of this Im a lot more relaxed than I was last time , I know that this time goes VERY fast, and you don't get it back , so I spend a good part of the day giving my baby kisses and cuddles , I don't worry about all the stuff I should be doing .

Um , whats a jumperoo ? is that like a jolly jumper ? they bounce in it and it hangs on the door frame ?

Great advice Kelly, I was reading all the other posts and was starting to get worried as I don't actually have a structured routine. I am also a second time mum so I don't worry about actual 'play time', I just make it up as I go along. eg. playing peekaboo when I am changing a nappy or giving my children lots and lots of kisses and cuddles.

Anita - posted on 12/16/2009

Quoting Karen:

i don't have much time before baby wakes up so here's a list! : )

put baby in a sling/front carrier and dance to music or your own singing in front of a full-length mirror. my little one laughs every time.

exercise with your baby. have her lay in the floor beside you while you do stretches or floor exercises. you can use her as weight and lift her up and down too!

songs with hand actions (finger play?) - eency weencey spider, wheels on the bus, pat a cake, twinkle twinkle little star. youtube has videos to teach you if you don't know the words/actions

books - 6 months is a great age to start reading together if you aren't already

peekaboo, funny faces

baby in the carrier facing out can "help" you with laundry and some chores (not cleaning with chemicals or cooking though)

jumperoo (20 minutes per day twice a day) and play gym (20 minutes per day)

blow bubbles when the weather is nice

walk (once a day - 30 mins to 1 hr)

go to the mall and show baby all the animals in the pet store!!

name things and make the animal noises - "this is a cat. meow meow."

hold baby on my lap while i play piano

when she's cranky we watch a couple short sesame street videos online. i know you're not supposed to let your baby watch tv until 2 years old, but it really helps when you have a fussy, teething baby!

my baby is very active and doesn't sleep much during the day so we do a lot! hope some of those ideas help!

 

 

Gawd, How do you fit all of this in? I am a stay at home mum with a 6 month old and 16 month old and I am lucky to have 10mins to play with her, most of the time I am .... washing clothes (4-5 loads a day), washing up, vacuuming, cleaning up after my 16 month old, hanging the clothes up, preparing breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, changing nappies (for 2 babies), bathing both babies, answering any business calls that come in (we have 2 businesses), did I mention tidying up?  I am on the go from 5am until late at night, actually I don't rest because I am up at night feeding my 6 month old.

I might start a new post because I am wondering if I am doing something wrong, it seems like I can never rest, sit down or even eat some days.....

Kelly - posted on 12/16/2009

I am a second time mum , and because of this Im a lot more relaxed than I was last time , I know that this time goes VERY fast, and you don't get it back , so I spend a good part of the day giving my baby kisses and cuddles , I don't worry about all the stuff I should be doing .

Um , whats a jumperoo ? is that like a jolly jumper ? they bounce in it and it hangs on the door frame ?

Stephanie - posted on 12/15/2009

My son is 5 1/2 also ! some of the things we do is:go to fisherprice.com on the infant game section and play the " peekaboo game ". Or he loves baby songs on youtube, its fun to see his reaction. We also lay down on a soft surface and I play - this little piggy game with his toes.

Naomi - posted on 12/11/2009

All awesome ideas! thanks for sharing! My son likes the jumperoo, he likes finger games, tickles/silly time and songs. he isn't into books yet (well.. he is.. but he likes to eat them, not so much with the reading) he's very grabby, he'll sit on my lap and I'll hold various objects for him to grab at. We have a "fort" by playskool with all sorts of designs and toys hanging on it that he's starting to really like playing in. Its the only thing he'll really stay on his tummy for, otherwise he flips to his back right away. he really loves lying on his back and playing with toys, kicking and squeeling. Also, sitting in his highchair with some toys that I attach to it. he likes trying to unattach them, lol.
He has just started in the last few weeks to go for longer naps, before that he almost never napped!! i find switching activities every 15-30 mins helps him, if I need a break of scene walks are huge! even just a trip down the elevator in our building to the mailbox breaks up the day. anything out of the house, out of the ordinary is great. The hardest thing for me is helping him go down for his naps, and my doctor wanted me to try and get him to stretch the time between nursing sessions (from 2 hours to 3) cus she doesn't want me to burn out and thinks my body will have a bit more milk readily available for him that way. Tryng to distract him when he is fussy and wants to nurse is hard. It is WAY easier to just nurse and let him fall asleep in 5 minutes than try to rock him to sleep or 'cry it out', i think i'm gonna stick with what works!
Anyway, have fun with your baby! this time doesn't last long, its wonderful that they are always growing and changing and there are new seasons and activities to do all the time!

Kristie - posted on 12/11/2009

My baby is 6 months old and I feel like it's more of keep myself busy then the baby. As long as I'm holding her or she's in her swing or bouncer or tummy time on the floor. There is lots that baby can do but what is there for MOM to do while at home.
check out my website....
www.InternetCeoMoms.com/Kherrand

Sarah - posted on 12/10/2009

My baby is 6 months and has loved reading books for months. She stares at the pictures and listens really well. I usually pick the books that rhyme because they hold her attention better. The library is a great place to get a variety of books so that you don't have to read the same ones over and over.

Also, we go for a walk every morning. I bundle her up really well and she looks at all of the passing trees and bushes while I get a work out. My neighbor and I walk together so that the two babies can see each other too.

She loves her jump thing, not sure of the real name. She usually can play in it for about 30 min.

She loves being around older kids too. She likes to watch them play and I really feel like it helps her to learn.

Kirsty - posted on 12/10/2009

my son is 6 months old and wen hes awake i try to spend tym playing with him.. he has his toys and play mat which he loves i read books 2 him and he loved singing n dancing. as im running a house as well he has a walker and a swing to play with when m busy tidying as is very happy to do so ...i constantly tlk to him even when im busy which also keeps him entertained

Jasi - posted on 12/10/2009

I am also blessed to be home with my 51/2 year old, so during the day I read to her, we watch tv together and we play musical games. I'm not sure if your baby can sit or stand yet but my daughter is trying to pull up so I put her in the walker and she loves it. Maybe you can try going for walks around the neighborhood.

Danielle - posted on 12/08/2009

Im at home right now too. Lunchtime out with daddy or other friends (could just be over at a nother SAH mom's house too).

Swimming! She loves loves loves it, I got a YMCA membership.

Anything that takes you out of your normal areas of the house, giving her more to look at esp if they are in a carrier (basement, bathroom, garage)

And even though they are young yet, I have read that any experience that shows them new things helps build up their brains.

@Karen - My Lydia almost never sleeps more than two 25 min naps in a day, I feel your pain!

Julia Kat - posted on 12/07/2009

Quoting Karen:


when she's cranky we watch a couple short sesame street videos online. i know you're not supposed to let your baby watch tv until 2 years old, but it really helps when you have a fussy, teething baby!

A couple of months ago at my sons 4 month well visit I talked to his ped about TV. My son is extremely active and doesn't like to stay on one task for too long. We have a swing, two exersaucers and 3 baby bouncers that I alternate through all day long, not to mention tummy time, story time and me holding him. He's also got really bad seperation anxiety and I can't even take a shower without sitting him in a bouncer outside of the shower while I constantly poke my head out to talk to him.

The only time my son is content without needing constant attention from me is while he is watching TV. Generally I was concerned about allowing him to and felt guilty that I would use the TV for a few minutes to myself. So I talked to his ped and he told me that it's alright to allow him 30 minutes to an hour of TV, but avoid any movies with sudden loud noises and such (NickJr, Spout are good ones). He told me that if it gave me a minute to shower and clean or do laundry or just relax that I shouldn't feel too guilty over it as all mothers need a break. (In my case, my husband is military and hardly ever around to help me).

Kayla - posted on 12/07/2009

i'm a stay at home mom to and i love it but it gets a little boring sometimes. It seems like all i get done is feeding changing diapers,taking my oldest to the potty, and cleaning up after everyone else, i need some ideas to but do we really have time.

Ashley - posted on 12/07/2009

My daughter is 6 months old this week and she absolutely loves her jumperoo. We don't have rims on our doors for a johnny-jump-up so my mom bought her a jumperoo. She loves it. There are lots of interactive toys to keep her occupied. I just make sure that she is playing where I'm in arms reach. They do tire them out rather quickly so it may only provide 30 or so minutes of entertainment but they are great. Since she has been using her jumperoo it has even improved her grasping skills, and has helped her build leg strength.

Karen - posted on 12/05/2009

hey, there are some fun things to do here:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6467_play-with-6...
http://www.ehow.com/how_6455_stimulate-6...
http://www.ehow.com/how_6442_stimulate-6...

this morning, dad sat on the floor with baby and i sat across from him and we rolled the ball back and forth. dad had the idea of holding baby in a standing position so she could "kick" the ball with both feet. she absolutely loved it. giggle central!!

it's nice we can share ideas here. : )

Marcy - posted on 12/04/2009

Good ideas Karen!

Some other things that may help:

Change the scenery ever hour or two (move baby to another room or another angle on the room maybe 1 hour on the floor then 30 mins in bouncy seat/exersaucer then move to another room like your bedroom or dining room)

Spend some time outside every day.

Time singing ... then dancing... and playing hard
Time reading ..then cuddling... time to be quiet together (maybe relaxing on the couch or bed with no additional noise or stimulation)

They can play "alone" for a while then have more interactive playtimes.

Switching things up at certain intervals usually keeps them stimulated and happy.

Eleisha - posted on 12/04/2009

I know most of our babies are only 6 mo, but i make cornflour paint and we paint. Other things we do, is Blow bubbles outside, make up foto albums for my daughter and name each person, read, dance, sing, she "helps" fold washing, sit with her in front of a full length mirror, go for a walk. let her help me garden, although i have to make sure she doesn't eat dirt, tummy time outside, she uses the jolly jumper a little but gets bored with it.

Christina - posted on 12/04/2009

Quoting Karen:

i don't have much time before baby wakes up so here's a list! : )

put baby in a sling/front carrier and dance to music or your own singing in front of a full-length mirror. my little one laughs every time.

exercise with your baby. have her lay in the floor beside you while you do stretches or floor exercises. you can use her as weight and lift her up and down too!

songs with hand actions (finger play?) - eency weencey spider, wheels on the bus, pat a cake, twinkle twinkle little star. youtube has videos to teach you if you don't know the words/actions

books - 6 months is a great age to start reading together if you aren't already

peekaboo, funny faces

baby in the carrier facing out can "help" you with laundry and some chores (not cleaning with chemicals or cooking though)

jumperoo (20 minutes per day twice a day) and play gym (20 minutes per day)

blow bubbles when the weather is nice

walk (once a day - 30 mins to 1 hr)

go to the mall and show baby all the animals in the pet store!!

name things and make the animal noises - "this is a cat. meow meow."

hold baby on my lap while i play piano

when she's cranky we watch a couple short sesame street videos online. i know you're not supposed to let your baby watch tv until 2 years old, but it really helps when you have a fussy, teething baby!

my baby is very active and doesn't sleep much during the day so we do a lot! hope some of those ideas help!

I have been wondering the same thing. THanks for all of the great ideas!!

Karen - posted on 12/04/2009

i don't have much time before baby wakes up so here's a list! : )

put baby in a sling/front carrier and dance to music or your own singing in front of a full-length mirror. my little one laughs every time.

exercise with your baby. have her lay in the floor beside you while you do stretches or floor exercises. you can use her as weight and lift her up and down too!

songs with hand actions (finger play?) - eency weencey spider, wheels on the bus, pat a cake, twinkle twinkle little star. youtube has videos to teach you if you don't know the words/actions

books - 6 months is a great age to start reading together if you aren't already

peekaboo, funny faces

baby in the carrier facing out can "help" you with laundry and some chores (not cleaning with chemicals or cooking though)

jumperoo (20 minutes per day twice a day) and play gym (20 minutes per day)

blow bubbles when the weather is nice

walk (once a day - 30 mins to 1 hr)

go to the mall and show baby all the animals in the pet store!!

name things and make the animal noises - "this is a cat. meow meow."

hold baby on my lap while i play piano

when she's cranky we watch a couple short sesame street videos online. i know you're not supposed to let your baby watch tv until 2 years old, but it really helps when you have a fussy, teething baby!

my baby is very active and doesn't sleep much during the day so we do a lot! hope some of those ideas help!

Jennifer - posted on 12/04/2009

I am a working mom but I have been blessed with the worlds best sitter and during the day my son loves to be in his jumperoo and his exersaucer. She keeps it near where she is so he can watch her and also the other little kids. On the weekends I try to get walks in with him, the weather is getting a little too cold here so the mall is a better choice. Hope this gave you a few ideas, enjoy your time with your little one.