6.5 month old bored or spoiled?

[Mama_Mia]

I need some ideas on how to keep my LO entertained so I can get things done. He has a walker,exersaucer,johnny jumper, that gym thingy with the dangling toys. And tons of toys. But everytime he sees me he cries then screams for me to pick him up. I think he gets bored with the same things all the time but I dont know what else to do. Its too cold to go anywhere right now so going for a walk is out of the question. Oh and I should mention that he is on a 3 hour A time, so thats alot of hours to fill up..lol

[cuckoochick]

I am beginning to notice for the first time that I have more time to structure with DD.

Is your DGS happy to watch you do chores? My DD loves to be in the kitchen with me either in her highchair or bouncy seat and watch while I do dishes/cook etc. I sometimes give her the shiny measuring cups or wooden spoons to play with while I am working.

My DD loves to be read to but that wouldn't solve your problem of trying to get stuff done. I am finding now that DD wants to sit up a lot more. She is desperate to sit up and keeps doing these funny sit-ups so we're doing lots of practising sitting up, playing with toys and looking in mirrors. I am very lucky though in that my DD will stay doing the same stuff for aaaages. Otherwise most of the things we do are the things you are already doing! I am sure once your DGS is more mobile he will be non-stop entertained!!! Mind, you probably won't get much done then either!

[Mama_Mia]

he is very spirited and hates to sit for long, he can sit on his own but he gets interested in things and falls over. I have tried putting him in his highchair while I clean or cook but that only lasts for 10 minutes tops then he wants me to pick him up. I really need to break him of wanting me to hold him all day.

[cuckoochick]

Oh bless you- I can see how that can be hard. He is probably desperate to be more mobile. I think you just have to go with him for now and when he is communicating a desire to change activity to go with that.

I am a teacher and some 6 year olds find it hard to maintain attention to one activity for 10 minutes, so I am sure he is doing great and it sounds like you are doing all the right things. He must just have a very busy mind. Do you think there could be an element of SA or does he just want to be held?

Hugs- you're doing great.

[~Sara~]

I don't think he's spoiled   And I think you're doing a great job trying to help him out!  Perhaps he's frustrated that he can't move yet, but really, really wants to!  He sees you and while he loves you lots and lots (, maybe he's just waiting to move around with you (and actually being with you is an extra treat).  Have you tried putting him in a sling for a few minutes here and there so you can get some stuff done, and then switch to him playing on his own?

10 minutes is actually pretty good for being able to focus on one activity at this age, so please know that he's right on track with his attention span

Posted at the same time as cuckoochick.

[Mama_Mia]

I was just speaking with DH about maybe it being SA. If anyone holds him besides me, he stares at me the whole time and will cry and/or fuss until I take him. Unless I shut myself in another room away from him, I dont know how I can get away from that. And he makes me feel so guilty if I go about cleaning while he stares and fusses for me.

Sara, a sling is out of the question unfortunately. My back just cant handle carrying him for more than 5-10 minutes. And 10 minutes is pushing it.

I guess I'll just try to keep switching where he is ever 10 minutes and see if I can get anything done. I cant even manage to shower unless my boys are home. Then they can handle him for 10 minutes before things go crazy.

[aidenmc]

If he's not too mobile or sitting well we had a lot of success sitting all three boys in a laundry basket of toys. They can reach them easily, are propped up (you can add cushions) and you can vary the toys and bring him with you. With ds3 once he was sitting well, I put him in the kitchen sink of water. I use it when he's fussy or tired and it works wonders. Also lets me get stuff done in the kitchen with him close by. At first I did need to be within arms reach but now I can go about things all around the kitchen.

Just wondering if maybe he's tired. 3hrs A time seems like a lot for 6mo. DS at 10 mo does about 3.5hrs. Could that be behind his clinginess?

[Hedgehog17]

I really like the laundry basket idea - thank you aidenmc!

Definitely trying that tomorrow 

[Mama_Mia]

I like the laundry basket idea. I never would have thought of something like that.

Just wondering if maybe he's tired. 3hrs A time seems like a lot for 6mo. DS at 10 mo does about 3.5hrs. Could that be behind his clinginess?

I dont think that has anything to do with it. He is clingy from the moment he wakes up. I used to put him in his walker and he would travel back and forth between kitchen and living room and just be having fun. But now he walks for about 2 minutes then comes to me wanting me to pick him up. I try putting him in his jumper,activity saucer,laying on floor but he just fusses unless I pick him up. I am going to try the laundry basket tho. Maybe that way he can be right next to me without me holding him and he'll be happier. Heck I'm willing to try anything

[aidenmc]

Hedgehog - just watch if your lo is pretty mobile then he/she might try to get out and then actually fall out. We found it most useful when they are at the almost sitting to sitting well but not crawling stage.

[babyrose]

i know how you feel, my lo is just about to turn 12 months and he was like your lo when he was about the same age. he has loads of toys and i couldnt get anything done, now he plays away himself with pots and pans and a wooden spoon or helps with the washing!

[Mama_Mia]

babyrose, at what age did you notice that your LO started playing more on his own?
 
aidenmc, We have used the basket full of toys and it works great when he's not in pain from teething. I'm thinking I need to find more toys tho, to mix things up a bit for him. I have looked at wal-mart but they dont seem to have much.

[RachelC]

Maybe this thread has some ideas to help:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=52865.0

[*Kara*]

My DD is 6 1/2 months and has started to fuss when I leave the room as well... she often wants to be held and used to be fine to sit in her exersaucer while I ran around doing housework... I think it is the beginning of her understanding object permanence/SA.  For now, I just try to do my housework in short stints to avoid a cranky girl... I always try to remind myself that this too shall pass

[Mama_Mia]

Kara, thats exactly how DGS acts. So far I have found 1 thing that keeps him totally happy for about 15 minutes without me holding him. If I put him in his crib and turn the mobile on he will stay happy for about 15 minutes, but I can only do that a couple times a day. I know this will pass too. But with a house full of boys it definitely takes longer than just a couple minutes at a time to get the house clean. Teenage boys are the messiest,LOL

[deb]

I have an alternate suggestion: can the older boys start to help with some of the slack? Once a week vacuuming and making dinner and doing a load of laundry from start to finish - it's their clothing too, right? - won't break their backs. That and making friends with a slow cooker for at least one meal a week (2 or 3 is good too ) have saved the sanity of lots of folks.

And then when DGS begins to work out of this phase (into some other thing like teething LOL), you'll have a nice foundation laid and you'll get to put up your feet once in a while. Ideally, anyway.

But seriously, this too shall pass. He may also be clingy if he's cutting teeth, and once they're in there'll be more..... (must stop now, having flashbacks. LOL)

[Mama_Mia]

LOL, he is teething. One tooth has just come through the gums a bit and by the way he is acting I think there is another somewhere that I cant see. My older boys do help,"sometimes" The oldest is leaving for boot camp in a month and is getting nervous about it so he has been helping alot more lately, maybe wanting to make sure he can always come back. But teen boys help tends to make more of a mess than anything,lol. Just scrubbing their bathroom takes 30 minutes every day.yuck. .. I seem to have flashbacks daily, about the next stage, like crawling and getting into everything. Throwing toys just to watch mommy pick them up. UGH. I just keep telling myself, I have done this before I CAN do it now!!

[*Kara*]

True enough but teenage boys can also help with housework

[aidenmc]

I agree about the boys and helping. I am always on at my 5 and 10 year old boys to help out. I tell them they have 2 good arms and legs and that their dad and I just can't do it all on our own (and have time to play with them, take them to activities, etc.) . I think I have fears of them growing up and not knowing how to take care of themselves (or worse, expecting their future wives to do all the housework  ).

Oh, and their bathroom is disgusting!

[Mama_Mia]

lol aidenmc

Dont get me wrong, my boys are capable of everything. They can sew,cook,clean,care for Michael. But once they hit 16 it became more of a battle to get them to help and like I said they make more of a mess. Like when I ask them to cook dinner. The kitchen looks like a cyclone hit and it takes alot of bickering and arguing to get them to clean the mess they made. So in the long run its easier for me to do it myself. And getting DH to do anything helpful would be a miracle. Although he did do his first load of laundry in 10 years yesterday. Then he told me not to expect it again.lol

[deb]

And getting DH to do anything helpful would be a miracle. Although he did do his first load of laundry in 10 years yesterday. Then he told me not to expect it again.lol

PTHTHTBBBTT!!!!!

Me spitting out my drink almost!

[aidenmc]

Lol! I'm sure that's what I have to look forward to with my boys NanaC.

[*Kara*]

Men.  Sigh.

[ZacsMumme]

My DS is 7.5 months and started the fussing around 6.5 month...could just be the start of SA and object perm as Kara mentions? If you LO can sit well could you try putting him in the kitchen with you on the floor with a cupboard open that he can explore with safe things in it? THis works well for us - if not sitting so well you could put a tri pillow behind him?

I know this sounds terrible but our DS prefers remotes, cell phones and the monitor to his toys...oh and keys or leather or a wooden spoon. Sometimes I can get him occupied for a while with an old dead cell phone with the battery removed or when Im desperate the remote (I don't tell DH - remotes are precious to him) SOmetimes its not the toys they want hehe.

I know what you mean re A times, DS is also on a long A but it works for him and I cheat by putting him in the front pack while I do some chores..though it isn't good for the back.

[Hedgehog17]

The kitchen looks like a cyclone hit and it takes alot of bickering and arguing to get them to clean the mess they made. So in the long run its easier for me to do it myself.

This is a typical male tactic for getting women to do everything for them - do it badly or make a bigger mess

They are also fond of the occasional blitz rather than cleaning frequently

Would it really hurt you to leave their bathroom to them to clean? Yes it'll get disgusting, but when the flies move in they might realise that they DO need to clean it! Same goes with washing clothes, plates etc - when they run out they'll work out that they need to do laundry / dishes

[deb]

The good news is that after boot camp DS should be able to keep the place spic and span for ya.

[babyrose]

hi, i think he was 8/9 months when he could crawl and get about more. ure lo will play more maybe once he gets moving about things will get easier. HTH

[aidenmc]

Wait till he's moving and exploring. You will think your older boys are very clean! DS3 is currently a one-baby destruction machine!