Sometimes I have things to do but can't get the chance to do them because Aaron requires almost all my attention! I've tried laying down in front of the tv or giving him toys, but he always wants my undivided attention! Is there any thing I can do to help him entertain himself?
Exersaucer, bouncer, baby carrier, walker, highchair, blankie on floor in kitchen... At 9 months, he will want to be wherever you are. I would take the exersaucer or bouncer in the bathroom while I showered, laundry room while I washed, kitchen while I cooked. Definitely a lifestyle change!
Research strongly suggests that children should get NO TV before the age of two. It does things to their brainwaves, and may keep their brains from developing normally. Google "tv and infant brain development" for lots of information about the hazards.
Single-family homes are a pretty recent phenomenon in human history. In traditional extended families, there were often grandparents, siblings, and even aunts, uncles and cousins to share the care-taking and teaching of babies. Since so many mothers today don't have access to that, we need to either provide the stimulation a baby needs for optimal brain development, perhaps hire a part-time sitter or day care, or let the child get bored and miserable.
One fabulous solution is to wear your son during housework and meal prep – my daughter and grandson both loved this. Lots of conversation, giggles, showing how to's, and the mom's hands are still free. And babies don't distinguish yet between work and play, so it's all fascinating to them. When he's a little older, he can stand on a stool and "help" you in the kitchen, dust furniture, push a child's broom around, "fold" clean clothes, etc. This is a wonderful socializing way to help the child develop both verbal and motor skills.
You'll probably come up with a long list of "favorite" things to do with your son, R.. Have fun with it!
Rotate his toys, keep only a few out for the morning, book, ball rattle, teether, whatever then put them away in a closet while he eats or naps and pull out a few different toys, the next day totally different toys. toys can be a board books with baby faces, bowls or a ladle from your kitchen, whatever.
He needs a sibling. ;)
I see in your profile that your little one is 9 months old....he is NOT going to be happy by himself ...and please do NOT use the TV as a babysitter. If you have chores that need to be done....take his car seat or his infant seat and take it into the room that you are going to be working in. Make sure he is safe and secure in the seat then just talk to him as you go about your work.
You are his world R.....and he wants to be with you. You are also his first teacher...you can enrich his life by the things you do with him during these early formative years.
He is going to grow up SO quickly...you will look back on these days someday in the future and wonder WHERE it all went...and you will be SO glad that you spent time with him.
Read my answer to your question about My Baby Can Read and you will see a lot of things that I suggested that will help him be occupied and happy.
Edit to add that at 9 mo. old, he will still need to be very close to you, so do what you can do accommodate that. He's too young to really be entertained and safe by himself for long.
I used to wear my daughter when she was a baby and just go about my chores (within reason), or put her in the high chair so she was safe but at my level and could see me cooking, etc. If I'm folding laundry, I might let her play with washcloths or socks. Or I use gates (even now) to keep her in a safe zone while I run downstairs to swap laundry. That sort of thing. There are stages where kids just need more attention and you have to work with it. My DD is a toddler now and sometimes I find I just have to stop, give her the attention she's seeking and needing and THEN I can do my thing. The dishes can wait through three readings of Goodnite Goon.
Try turning some music on while your doing your chores and have him in a bouncy seat, stroller, johnny jumper etc. dance around and act silly. Give him some entertainment while your getting things done. I remember dancing around and pushing my DS from time to time in his walker and he would be my dancing partner :) I remember having a pillow that was horse shoe shaped and I would sit him up, we would both sit on the couch while I would fold laundry and I would use the clothes to play peek a boo or take a shirt and lightly sweep it accross his face and head and he would smile and laugh. It is hard sometimes but try to make it fun for him and beneficial for you. You can give him attention and get things done. Good luck!
This is just a phase. Enjoy him while he is little, it won't last long. Soon he'll be walking and you'll wish he stayed in one place. Turn on some classical music or kids music for him to listen to, but no tv until about age 2. Bring him in whatever room you are in. Yes, it hard to get things done, but playing with him is how he will learn. Get things done when he is napping.
He's too young to entertain himself. And too young for ANY TV. He is supposed to want your undivided attention. It's developmentally appropriate and a matter of survival for babies! Get a sling. Wear him on your back while you take care of household tasks. And be OK NOT getting things done. Soon enough he'll be entertaining himself and you'll be fretting about HOW he's doing so! Keep him close for now.
Really, that won't come til MUCH later.....find an excersaucer, bouncy gym, etc.....but don't expect too much, if he is 9 mos old.
Try a jumper. My son had one that played music when he jumped, but this was the only one that I could find. This is similar.
we got an excersaucer. My daughter loved spinning around in it and playing with it when I would make dinner and stuff.
Dear R.,
When your son was in your womb, he was learning the sound of your voice and the voices around you and the sounds around you. The ages between 3 months and 3 years will determine the type of student you will have in school. If the child learns that education is important by the way that you spend time with hime, he will want to learn. If you do not make a concerned effort to speak with him, asking him to respond with your eyes and facial expressions, you are doing to him what he will do to you when he is school age. According to Glenn Doman, Founder of the Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential, a child learns the most between the ages of 3 months and 3 years. www.iahp.org .
At 5 mos. , he wants to learn everything from you and he feels insecure and that is why he clings to you. If you feel the same way, get some support, you both deserve it. Little boys are different from little girls. I taught my children with "How to Teach your Baby to Read" by Glenn Doman. At 3 mos. to 6 months, the flash cards should have print title case in red, 5" high. During the day, I went to the library, got classical CD's and would dance with the music, if it were a waltz or foxtrot, etc. I also borrowed from the library different CD's of languages. It was fun to listen to them and repeat the words and learn from the dictionaries that accompanied the CD's.
My children came to love book as we would spend a lot of time reading at home. Shut off the TV. By the time they were 6, they knew what was important and still value their books.
Exercise his limbs gently, letting him work with you mantaining eye-contact while he is on his back. Make up special songs just for him, 20 years from now, you will remember the good times you had together, because he might be gone.
I will never forget one day, at 3 years of age, I felt horrible, too many things to do, I just took a shower , my hair was wet. I came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and he said, "Mommy, you look beautiful." Sometimes God talks to us from the mouths of babes. I hope God does this for you.
Enjoy your life.
