Keep Your Baby Busy
When Dorian first arrived, I was so tired that I was happy to nap with him on the bed, sit and cuddle him when he was awake and generally enjoy my new baby. But about a month after his birth, I started getting impatient. I needed to get things done, noisy things like vacumning, when he was awake and he wanted to be held all the time! It was time to look for a solution, a way to keep my little one occupied, so I could get things done without feeling guilty.
The first thing I learned is that you canīt expect a newborn to stay happy on his own for very long, but you CAN teach them to spend longer and longer periods without you entertaining them.
Start with just a couple of minutes. Dorian loves music, so I would put on a cd and lay him on a mat on the floor. He would contentedly listen to a song or two while I folded laundry nearby. As he grew, he would actually listen to three or four songs before he started fussing. If your baby doesnīt like the music you put on, try different types. Dorian particularily liked rap since his daddy played it while I was pregnant!
Even little babies like to look at things. A bright mobile or toys hung from a string over the crib can keep their attention for a while, especially if they move. Our best investment when Dorian was a few weeks old was a bouncy chair from Fisher Price that had a toy bar. When he kicked, as all babies do, the toy bar would light up and play music. He loved it!
Once they are old enough to grab onto things, you will probably find that your baby likes to feel new textures. Toys are still hard for them to grasp, but fabric is perfect. I would give Dorian a piece of clothing like a swimsuit and keep switching items every three or four minutes. He would play happily with each new fabric for several minutes and if I kept switching, he would stay happy for up to half an hour.
Around about 4 months, babies start to really like looking in the mirror. We have a full-length mirror and I would sit Dorian in front of that in his bouncy seat. We bought gel shapes that stick to the mirror to make things more interesting and he was thrilled. There are also plenty of toys with plastic mirrors for babies. Dorian also loved to kick the mirror which was on a door. As he kicked, it would move, changing the view!
Once your baby is old enough to move around a bit, even if itīs just twisting in his chair or half-rolling over, you can start putting toys around him, within reach, but not right in his hands. They can stay pretty busy trying to get to their toys for a long time! And you will love the pride in your childīs eyes when he finally grabs that cherished item!
Another great activity with kids is to put them where you are. If youīre cooking, have your baby near you in the kitchen (but away from any hot things that could spill on him.). Talk to him about what you are doing, show him the egg you are going to break, etc. You can get things done while the baby is thrilled just to be a part of things. Let him play with a spatula or measuring cup and youīll be rewarded with big smiles!
Babies get bored very quickly and like to have new things to look at. If you live somewhere rural, you can sit your baby in the doorway or on the porch (with you nearby, of course) and let him enjoy the view. Being outside is something most babies love. Lay a blanket on the grass and let your little one coo at the clouds or trees while you hang up the laundry or weed the flower garden.
If you donīt live somewhere rural, just putting the baby in a window often does the trick. They can watch people and cars going by and most will stay content for quite some time.
Hanging pictures on the wall or ceiling above the crib is good, too. You can change them frequently so there is something new to look at and you certainly donīt have to spend a fortune, just rip pages out of magazines or print off a simple image on the computer. Babies like faces, so makeup ads and such are perfect for them to look at.
Once you both get the hang of it, youīll be able to let your baby play alone for longer and longer periods. Heīll be more independent and you will be thrilled to get stuff done without having to entertain your baby every second.
