How Can I Stimulate My 6 Month Old?

Don't worry, in 2 weeks he'll be crawling and rolling all over the house and you'll wish he would stay in one place!! Don't worry about entertaining him, start baby proofing now while he can't move!

Is there a bus system where you live? I do not drive either, so I go around town on the bus or walk. It is too bad that there are not any close parks to where you live, but if there is a bus system, start looking into it so that maybe you can start going more places such as the park or even the public library or book store. Some libraries or book stores have story times for toddlers and it is a great way to meet other moms. Also, sometimes libraries have special events such as plays or fun music for kids. Do some research and see what is available.
Good Luck!

M. *~

I felt like this was the in between stage with my son. He couldnt crawl but he wanted to get to everything. I read to my son ALOT. Books with big pictures and repetition are great. If this is your only child (mine is) you are going to have to get out to play grounds and other mommy activities to get his brain tired. That way he will take his naps better and for a longer period. This is the time to bond with him because soon he will be into everything and wont want to be slowed down. Right now his world is you and it is hard but try to enjoy it. I share a car with my husband so when I was staying I research everything in walking distance. I found so many activities. Thats a suggestion cause I dont know your area.

Please don't be offended, okay? You need to change your way of thinking... you are moving him through stages - - - you need to ENJOY him an PLAY with him... These years go quick and you will regret it - - - Get down on the floor with him and look at the world from his point of view - - - play peek-a-boo and lose yourself in his laughter and wonder... You have to go back to being 6 months yourself and try to recapture the joys of life with him... No - your house wont be immaculate - no you wont get everything done - - -you might gain some weight and look a bit frazzeled at times, but you need to engage WITH your son in everything you do... When you go for walks take time to smell the roses (literally) - touch the leaves - watch a squirrel....

Read what you wrote - keep him stimulated and busy!!! Life isn't meant to be stimulated and busy - - - Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed and savored - - - appreciate all the little things everyday - - - Try and stop looking at the clinical side of raising your baby - - - you will enjoy him more and you will discover more and more of what he enjoys in the process....

FYI - I am the mother of 4 - with number 5 on the way very soon... My 17yo and 12yo are both straight A students - my 7 yo is top of her class and the 5yo who isn't in school yet is reading and writing now.... I struggled with my first for the first 6 months very similar to the way you are - when her father got called off to war I had to change everything I was doing and a whole new world opened to both of us...

Good luck and enjoy Steven!

Hi R.,

You seem to have the idea that you have to be the one to initiate the activities for your son. It has been my experience that children are inherently curious people who are quite capable of finding many things to entertain them for periods of time. It is up to you to make sure the things your child gets into are safe for him. The more he becomes dependent upon you to provide him with entertainment, the more and more high maintenecne he is going to be as he gets older. He will grow bored quickly. At this point, I don't think children are capable of being bored so easily. Let him go. See what he does and where he goes around the house or outside...wherever you are. He will most likely find the things he is interested in instead of you having to find things to interest him. I stayed at home for 18 months and I was the one who became bored. So I went back to school, became a preschool teacher and brought my daughter to work with me for almost 4 years. That was my solution!! Whatever you do, don't kill yourself trying to entertain your kid. Let his interests rise to the surface and you follow his lead. It will only get more fun for both of you. Good luck!!

One on one time.

Read to your baby, sing songs (allthough it's arkward to hear yourself singing at first) and use nursery rhymmes.
Pots and pans or soft balls seem to be very entertaining too.

I noticed with my 8month old that there is more value in the one on one time than there is in rushing beetween stations and meetings.

I do walk a lot in the neighborhood though (either w/ stroller or bjorn) and so he gets exposed to different sceneries. (There might really be other moms in your area who are up for a walk with you).

Enjoy!

I am in the same boat only add a 2 year old to the mix, when I finally seem to have him entertained his sister comes and smacks him or takes the toy he is playing with away. I am going crazy but it is all you can do. They are learning so fast now, my little guy sleeps through the night but gets so irritable during the day becasue he wants to stay up and see the world instead of napping. Just go with the flow and enjoy the time though frusterating as it is you will miss it soon enough!

Hi R.,
I too am a SAMH of a 6mth old. A girl. She, like your son is very alert & always in need of stimulation. I find rotating her is the best way to keep her occupied. I try to eliminate one of the stations for a few days then switch it with another. That seems to keep her more interested in her toys. I find the easiest way to keep things fun for me is to try to do something new at least once if not twice a week. I know were in LA and it's hard to do anything without a car but keep in mind even a walk up to the local drug store is new for the babes. They will find the lights and new faces very interesting. I also try to leave her to her toys for a while so she gets used to entertaining herself. When I first started that she would only last 10 minutes or so but now she can live without my face for 20 to 30 minutes. Longer if I'm near and she can see me. I hope that helped.

Babies are really easy to keep amused. Toys that make noise, toys that he can grab and bite on and squeeze. Toys that will help him stand and walk around or pull up on.

Sounds like you are doing a great job to me. I have the same issue with my 17 month old twins. I made a list of things I could do with them when it strikes me. Some of them you can do and some of them might require a bus ride or cab ride if that is possible for you. Here is my list; museums, playgrounds, supermarket, mall, toy store, park, zoo, busy sidewalk, storytime at library or bookstore, planting flowers, rolling or playing with ball outside, sit outside on grass in front yard, coloring, elevator ride, walk on college campus or bike trail. This is just my list, maybe you can have someone else help you come up with your own list. Good luck!

Start a playgroup, take him to a play program like Gymboree!
I'd be interested in starting a playgroup with you.

Take a weekly trip to the local library and check out about 25 books. You can read 5 books to Steven each day as you rotate him from station to station. It will do wonders for his vocabulary and will increase his attention span. It's an easy, free and fun thing to do.

Play children's music. I usually play music as I clean the house and dance around my kids (a 4 yr. old and a 3 mo. old). Discovery Toys just came out with a great line called Do-Re-Mi & You which is CDs and books. You can check them out at www.discoverytoyslink.com/fatimac

Also, look into starting a mommy group where you can hang out with other moms and their kids. You may host it at you house. Limit the group to 3-4 moms.

Lastly, know that you don't always have to entertain Steven. Give him some down time to entertain himself.

Take Care!

do you have any friends with children? Maybe they could drive over and visit with you and your kids could play. It's great for social development, they entertain each other wonderfully (I have two boys close in age). Plus it'd give u a social outlet as well.

I remember feeling the same way when my daughter was around 6-9 months old. Try to let go and know that you're giving him adequate stimulation. I think the advice to let him figure out what he's interested in is really good. My daughter ended up getting really fascinated with books and then would sit and read them for twenty minutes. You don't have to be his personal entertainment unit, you're his mama.

For the record, things will get better, and he'll get way more interesting! When my daughter hit around 11 months she started doing a lot more new things, and now she's fascinating at 16 months, she learns new words every day and dances to music and laughs at jokes and silly faces. Just communicating with her is a wonderful adventure!

I've always found 6-9 month olds boring to an extent - cute, but boring. They're not new enough to be totally excited by every smile and gurgle, and they're not really DOING a lot. I thought it would be different with my own child - and it was - but I still didn't connect with that developmental stage the same way I connected with her as a newborn and now, as a toddler.

Good luck! You're a great mama!!

Dear R.,

Stop trying so hard. He will find something interesting to look at and enjoy. Put his toys around on the floor, and some 'real' things - I bet he will go the the real things and pound on them.. Also, put him on the floor and let him crawl around when you are cleaning in that room. I did that and it was fun. Books !! Have you read to him? Those are good. You will think that he isn't noticing, but he is loving to sit near you. You are his love, you know. C. N.

R.,

A good suggestion that I got from a Pampers brochure was to give your baby a bunch a baby food jar lids and different empty containers (coffe cans, yogurt etc) I was amazed at how long this entertained my daughter and she is not one to typically sit still. She would take them out and put them back in, transfer them from container to container. It seems like such a silly, simple idea, but it really was a very inexpensive idea... and who knows what affect this activity has on her hand-eye coordination! She is one now and finds other ways to play with them!

Good luck and hang in there... He'll be crawling before you know it!

K.

Give him some pots and pans and a wooden spoon. Let him make his own music. My girls loved this. Also as someone said, read books that repeat themselves. Kids love this. Make sure to read with a lot of emotion and big gestures. Get socks and make a puppet show. Put on music and dance.

Hope some of those ideas help.