What do do with a 6 month old all day??

Melanie - posted on 09/07/2012

we are in a similar situation i am a stay at home mum and have been for almost 8 yrs, my baby girl is 6 months and my son is 7 and just gone off to junior school, i remember first time round being a lot more fun, but i think because my daughter is a lot more fussy than my son was its been harder to keep her entertained, and she hates being on her own so i get very little done in the house, meaning doing it when i should be sleeping making me more tired. So we have started going for a short walk once a day and of course the school runs too, i sing to her for what seem like an eternity of incy wincy spider, polly put the kettle on and many many more, we have cuddle time which involves her wiggling and me trying to read to her, she has her playtime on her mat which usually involves her being very frustrated when she rolls on her tummy and she likes to move. I seem to sit her in her pushchair at lot but have recently purchase one of these donut ring play things and its been a god send, she lies in for ages watching a bit of cbeebies or listening to some music. We are moving soon and i am hoping to join a mother and baby group its quite scary as i'll know no-one but its a new start so a chance to get out more, perhaps you could look at a group x

Miranda - posted on 01/13/2010

I'm also a stay at home mom..who breastfeeds and he wont take a bottle [so this is a 24/7 thing for me!]. I am always super bored. I let him play alot & watch baby cartoons. We are staying in a hotel because of My husband/his dad's job is one where we have to travel, so most of his toys [like his walker] are still at our house in New York. I'm going to check out this Mommy & Me thing though! It looks interesting!

Pearl - posted on 01/13/2010

Hi yho i am also a stay at home mom i really adore being with my son but i times i gets really boring for me as well but fortunately he sleeps alot so thats what helps me out..

Kathleen - posted on 01/12/2010

my wee girl is 6 and a half months old i still live at hme with my parents so bella gets alot of attention but we normally play in her ball pit or play peek a boo around the living room my whole family joins in so its muc easier on me but im worried that when i move out an get my own place she will miss all the attention she gets from being in a full house

Sahra Jean - posted on 01/11/2010

invest in a walker lol best fing eVa :)

CASSIE - posted on 01/11/2010

baby einstein is great. they had a recall on the older ones because they had said that there were educational in there information and people said they were not. that is the only reason why. my son loves them and i personally think they are a lot better for him to watch than the stuff on regular tv

Kim - posted on 01/10/2010

heya, i do much the same as you ..i have a 7 month old. he crawls around exploring the living room and playing with his toys...i even get down on my hands and knees and crawl around with him and he loves it i guess coz i'm at his height..and we crawl around the house playing peek-a-boo at every corner...on a nice day (in New Zealand) we go play on the grass...even if the weathers yuk he likes to watch the rain come down..too cute..

me and my sister in law get together a couple of times a week and our two are only a couple of months apart but i find it good for our kids to meet each other ..even though mine bullies hers a bit ..and hes younger haha..anyways ..good luck xoxo

Brenda - posted on 01/10/2010

First off I want to say that you have to do what works for you. i agree with Alicia that if you need to put your baby in front of the TV to get something done, then you do it. But, as far as the idea that "TV can't hurt"...the University of Washington did a study looking at kids who watched Baby Einstein videos and found that their language scores were 10% less than the kids who didn't watch TV (their vocabularies were 8-10 words less than the other kids). So...maybe it doesn't physically harm them, but it is definitely not good for them either.

Hind - posted on 01/10/2010

My son loves the my baby can read DVDs and flash cards. Sometimes I will put him in the baby backpack while I cook or do laundry and I just talk to him about what I am doing, pointing out things and naming them. We also go to music class once a week which we both love since it gets us out of the house and around other people. Also we go to stroller fit classes and they do try to engage the babies while you work out. They have them at a community center during the winter months and in a park during the summer. He does spend a lot of time on his tummy in crawl position, and sitting on a blanket playing with toys. We also get together for playgroups with other babies and mom's from my mom's group. Also there is an indoor swimming pool at a local rec center that is just for babies. He loves looking at things so going to shops or the aquarium or even the supermarket are fun for both of us too.

Marivic - posted on 01/10/2010

just try him with toys that "talks" or make noises(not just rattles).i had a 6 month old baby who's fascinated with any battery operated toys that plays melodies,had some programmed songs & rhymes & do ABCs & 123's.& yeah,make sure that theyre big enough for him to sort of chew on but reasonably durable & easy to clean(coz my daughter tend to bite &/or suckle on her toys & how she slobbers on them,LOL!) hope this helps.

Nikki - posted on 01/10/2010

babies love fresh air, go for a walk if it's cold bundle them up, but a change of scenery always works wonders and if they are fussy this is the best way to change there mood. Routine is always good it helps build structure in there lives and they are more apt to focus and learn, and in turn they nap well and sleep through the night which is a great added bonus. I am a stay at home mom, my son usually wakes up around 8-9am so I usually spend cuddle time with him then and let him play in his exersaucer, by 11 am he usually goes down for his nap til about 12 then I bring him onto the floor we play games with all his toys and i let him crawl around and climb. I constantly talk to him and explain what everything is and let him play in his exersaucer when i have things to do around the house then we usually go for a nice long walk, he loves to be outside he loves new places he is sooo curious and loves to see new things, his favorite place is the grocery store he is always so amazed by all the things he sees then we go home and he takes his afternoon nap then my husband comes home and we play with him some more and at that point we watch some tv and let him play in his playpen to wind him down by 9:30 - 10:00 he goes down for the night. I play music during the day and let him play in his exersaucer when I want to so things but I don't like to put him in front of the tv and I as well would not have him watch baby einstein, the vocabulary is very limited and does not allow them to broaden there learning , I think the best is to constantly talk to them and interact as you would any other human being.

Mellissa - posted on 01/09/2010

Hi! from Vancouver,BC,Canada.
Iam in the same situation with a daughter who is 6months and what i do is go out to the mall. It sounds stupid, but its actually very good stimulation for the baby, and you get out of the house too.

Alicia - posted on 01/09/2010

About Baby Einstein and other "educational" DVDs - Andrea is right to point out that they are not actually educating your child, but Erin is right to point out "what would be the harm?"

A woman who runs a baby & me class put it nicely: "Go ahead and put them on if they keep baby happy and get you 20 minutes of much-needed YOU time. Just don't pretend that they are educational." They are only good for baby in that they help baby's mother stay happy and calm. And I don't think they harm baby (although the American Pediatric Association does say no TV under 2 yrs old).

The fact is, your baby is going to learn her colors and shapes better/faster from you talking to her about her environment. But we all (or at least most of us) like to veg-out in front of the TV now and then. And at least a baby DVD won't have sex/drugs/swearing/violence/gore/commercials (I assume - I don't actually have any).

We are all trying to find the balance between the perfect Mom we'd love to be and the Mom we have the time and energy to be in the real world.

Dianne - posted on 01/09/2010

Thanks christina for asking the question because I too thought I was boring my child especially as I can't go out either - tooo cold, I guess despite my misgivings I am actually doing what I can. Unfortunately I know no one in the town I live so I am awaiting the spring so that I can join a mother and baby group or the local library so that we can attend reading time etc if they offer it. Though sometimes I find it exhausting just trying to keep him entertained, but once he starts crawling I guess I will be running after him as even now I have to watch him like a hawk as all sorts of things go into his mouth that are within his reach, ahhhh the joys of motherhood, lol

Christina - posted on 01/08/2010

Ahhh Erin your sooo funny! LOL...you said "once he can move around it will be more fun"...well let me tell you!!! Ha ha he is from one side of the living room to the other,,,bumping his head on the coffee table, putting the surround sound cords in his mouth, pulling himself up on step stools, crawling!!!! this kid is a ball of energy!!!!

i like your idea about the einstein videos but i think im gonna go ahead and invest in the "your baby can read" i guess it really doesnt matter too much though on what they are watching at this age as long as it is half way educational and keeps their attention!! Thank you sooo much for your input and response to post!!! :)

Erin - posted on 01/08/2010

As a reply to Andrea, you will find problems with EVERYTHING out in the world today. If your baby likes the baby Einstein videos, then let them watch it. What would be the harm??

Erin - posted on 01/08/2010

My son llooovvvees the Baby Einstein Videos. Especially Baby Bach. He can watch these at least 20 minutes. I usually put it in after he eats since he is ready to just chill out at that point. That gives me time to do what i need to do and I get a little break. I also scatter his toys around the family room and he loves to roll around for like 30-45 minutes playing with them. I can't believe he lasts that long, but he loves his alone time. Its great. If your baby is as big as a fan of Baby Einstein videos, you can buy a 16 pk of the videos on ebay for around $34. That is a great deal when you think how each video can be around $15. Good luck! Things will get more fun once he can move around more and become more independent.

Angie - posted on 01/08/2010

If you have DishNetwork, they have a totally baby channel (Channel 126) that has a lot of activities and exercises you can do with them. I have a 6 month old and I can totally relate!

Robin - posted on 01/08/2010

i always try to have a mixtuer of chillout time, independant play and together play in our day.

when my daughter has just woken up we have some cuddles then she is left to play in the living room and just do her own thing... i make sure i talk to her and interact but mostly she is left to her own devices.

when she starts getting bored with that i play games... sometimes just sitting on the floor with her and playing with her toys together.

she loves when i lay on my back and rest her on my legs in the air... i flick my legs up and down and we bounce and fly and make silly noises.

we also dance together. i put her on my hip and we sing and bop around the room.

we also spend alot of time chasing the cat around the floor and watching the dogs through the window... its amazing how long a window will entertain a baby.

also dont be afraid to just put a dvd on - one YOU like... and just chill out and watch it together. i find if i put my daughter in her high chair with a chew bag of fruit she will do this for about 30mins... sometimes she just sits in the chair with me though.

i live in the tropics in australia so we have constant rain for about 5 months straight... i know all about not being able to go out. we will open up the garage door and just stand there together and watch the rain and look around outside from the edge... for some reason she loves this.

going to the shops is great too! gets you both out of the house and all the activity is entertaining for bub... i go there to just window shop for the sake of getting out of the house!

Andrea - posted on 01/08/2010

Here is an article about baby Einstein. They are not really that great. Disney has been offering Billions of dollars in refunds because they are not having a good effect on the development of an infants brain.



www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1650352,00.html (this link wont work so copy and paste, its really good!)



and : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/childr...



Sorry, I know it is a nice easy thing for your child, but its really not the best for them. I also know you other moms may hate me for saying this, but i am just trying to help.



ok. Christina,

I also like in Ohio, and I understand out is not something you can do. I feel the same was as if I am boring my son all day. I starting taking a mommy and me swim class at the YMCA (like Alicia suggested) Its great! My son LOVES it, and its nice to meet other moms.

If you are able to drive and go out, you can go to a coffee shop, its a nice break. or walk around the mall, its kinda weird, but my son likes to look at all the stuff, and on the weekdays its not crowded.

We listed to a lot of music, He really likes things that play music, with buttons on them so he can start it. and Drumming on things. Its a headache for mom sometimes but Babies LOVE it!

And if you have family near by, I go an visit them a lot, they love seeing him, and i get a little break and get to talk to adults. And its always good to see family.



Good luck! I know these winter months get hard in ohio.

Kya - posted on 01/07/2010

im so glad you've mentioned those dvds... ive been wondering what they r like! gonna buy them now... :)

Christina - posted on 01/07/2010

I was soooo going to buy "your baby can read"...it looks amazing!! I'm glad to hear that your baby will pay attention to the dvd, because now my son wants nothing to do with the tv...not that i would want him to veg all day in front of it but I do want to get those!! I would like himto watch something like that (or Baby Einstein) instead of some other things they on!

Thank you guys all for ideas! I am also going to look into my local library!

Oh...and YES Ashley you are VERY fortunate to live in Nevada!! LOL...cause it's cooold here! :)

Ashley - posted on 01/07/2010

Hi... My son is almost 7 months and right now I am also a stay at home mom. Fortunately I live in Vegas so the weather is great for walking but I love spending the days with my son. I think it sounds like you are doing all the right things.We play all day.... singing, peek a boo, patty cake, tummy time with toys, activity bouncer, reading. My son never napped before 5 months so I always felt like I was running out of things to do with him since he was up all day so I bought "your baby can read". It has videos, flash cards and picture books. I didn't buy it because I'm a mom who is pushing it on her kid to learn but because I figured it was one more thing we could do together and if he actually did learn while doing it then all the better. He absolutely loves the videos and I can barely get his attention when he watches them so I use the 20 minutes to get something done that I need to do and then I always have the option to interact with him with the cards and books. I like it because it's us interacting and me acting things out for him instead of me just reading a book and pointing at things. Also I find that he loves to pound on the keyboard if I'm on the computer so we bought him his own keyboard so he didn't ruin ours or our computer by pushing something we didn't know how to fix and that way I can still interact and talk with him on my lap while getting in a little computer time for myself and when he gets bored or fussy I stop and find something else to do with him. Plus don't worry too much sometimes a baby needs his/her own time to reset and just have baby time without us.

Alicia - posted on 01/06/2010

I am recently back to work, but I found the days very long when it was just my daughter and me. What saved me was a mommy and me class. I had to drive 25 minutes to get there, but it was once a week for 6 weeks and got me (1) out of the house and (2) to meet other women with babies about the same age. I had to pay for the classes, but once we met each other, we set up play-dates and outings on our own. I suddenly had a great support network as well as company. Also, the babies loved being with other babies and often entertained themselves!

Another option is to see if a local library, museum, place of worship, hospital, or community center offers anything for mothers and/or young children. My local library has a children's reading hour that is frequented by mothers, sitters and daycare providers of children as young as tiny infants.

I hope you get some good ideas and meet some other moms. Good luck! :)

Erica - posted on 01/06/2010

My daughter LOVES the Baby Einstein videos. She will watch them for about 20 minutes at a time. We check them out from the library so she can always watch different ones. I also push her around the house in her stroller if the weather is bad. Good luck!!