Author Topic: 4 1/2 month old gets frustrated while playing  (Read 10084 times)

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New Mommasita

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4 1/2 month old gets frustrated while playing
« on: July 05, 2006, 04:03:33 am »
My LO is generally a happy little boy. Recently, our "activity time" has taken a turn for the worse. When we give him a small toy to amuse himself with he starts out happy for a few minutes and gradually becomes more and more frustrated with it. He is at the stage where the first thing he tries to do is put the toy in his mouth. When he puts the toy in his mouth he starts yelling and getting angry until he is full blown crying. When I take they toy away he only cries more until we get a change of scenery. He can basically only play for a few minutes at a time. We have tried different toys but it always ends with the same result. It's almost as if he is expecting the toy to express milk and when it doesn't he throws a tantrum. I know it may sound odd but I don't know what to do. I have tried to hold back from intervening but it breaks my heart to see him get so frustrated - he is supposed to be playing! I am worried that he will not be able to play happily or independently. What should I do?

Offline maggieruth

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Re: 4 1/2 month old gets frustrated while playing
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2006, 10:22:44 am »
keep timing out so gonna make this real quick but:
what about toys that he can't get into his mouth?  like an activity arch with toys fastened overhead that might make noise if they are batted or a bigger toy which has buttons that you can help him press?  that way he can still explore but doesn't have that same sense of frustration when toys don't do what he expects! HTH!

Offline EmMUK74

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Re: 4 1/2 month old gets frustrated while playing
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2006, 11:36:57 am »
Rachel used to do that I think it was more related to teething and that the toy went in her mouth and then it hurt and then she cried but she didn't want it taken away - just like you described.

we used toy arches to make sure that things could be batted at but not chewed, we also introduced a specific teething ring which she found relieving when she wanted to chew

hth
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Offline Shdef

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Re: 4 1/2 month old gets frustrated while playing
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2006, 12:10:01 pm »
DS did exactly that! It was because one toy didn't occupy him for longer than 2 or 3 minutes. He just wasn't creative enough to DO things with them. We had a bunch of toys and as soon as he got upset he got another one. Once he can sit well in a highchair things will change, promise. Only a few weeks to go. You can than give him toys that aren't quite as simple (with buttons and stuff) and he will play happily for much longer...

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Re: 4 1/2 month old gets frustrated while playing
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2006, 02:48:06 am »
Thanks for all the great advice Mommies! I tried the activity arch idea and my LO played happier and a lot longer.
I'm new to this site but I know I'll be marked "thoroughly addicted" pretty soon!

Offline Missy Lou

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Re: 4 1/2 month old gets frustrated while playing
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2006, 14:19:20 pm »
My lo is almost 21 weeks and she has the same problem.  She likes to hold toys in her hands and put them in her mouth but when she drops them (which is still a lot), she doesn't know that they're right next to her and so she gets mad.  She also gets bored easily.  So most of her activity time is spent with me entertaining her or holding her toys so she can hit them and take them.  Tracy said to not let them get dependent on us and that by this age, they should play about 15 minutes alone.  But she is bored within 5 minutes.  She also hates lying on her back for more than a few minutes.  She struggles to sit up so the playmats don't work.