Do you constantly interact with LO all day?

[Angela49uk]

My LO is 11 weeks old and is getting much happier at occupying himself for a short time. This gives me time sometimes to get on and do some house work etc. But then he can be keeping himself occupied for 30-45mins sometimes. I then start to feel guilty, whether or not I should be constantly playing / singing / talking etc to him.

When I do house work and he's awake, I do still talk to him so he can hear my voice though.

How much time do you spend occupying LO in a typical day? x

 

[Cat_pj]

Any time that LO is not asleep, I feel guilty for not interacting more I know that she can't be held all the time, she wants to be so I'm trying hard to get her used to being put down on her mat etc, but when I do I just feel bad.

I try and talk to her all the time, but it doesn't come as naturally as I thought it would, I just find myself saying the same things over and over! My mum says give her a running commentary of everything you do, which I try but then I find my mind wandering or I'm listening to the radio and I stop and feel so bad!!

I never used to understand the constant guilt mothers have; hell I do now!

 

[Angela49uk]

Ha! I understand the constant guilt now as well. I'm exactly the same, try to give him a running commentary, but stop without realsing then! He's such a good baby and I feel I need to be spending more time with him (even though I must spend 75% of my time with him anyway) xx

 

[CharlieKeys]

Yep I feel guilty but there's times when he just likes playing on his own - he let's me know when he wants mummy to play so that's ok and there's times when there's things around the house that really need doing!

 

[x Michelle x]

I don't constantly entertain her, she is now big enough for her jumperoo and will bounce herself crazy for half an hour at a time! That means I can have a quick tidy etc! Sometimes I'll sit in the floor next to her bouncy chair as she tries to eat her toys and I watch tv whilst telling her what's happening in Glee etc etc!!

 

[Cloberella]

I feel guilty too, but they do need a bit of time to themselves.

 

[MrsH1980]

I try and get her involved where i can i.e. if i am washing up/doing her bottles in the kitchen I take her out there with me in her bouncer and sing/dance or talk her through what i am doing i.e. now we wash the cups, these are the glasses etc. if im sorting washing or ironing upstairs i prop her on our bed with pillows and yabba away to her.

That said, yes, she goes under her playmat whilst i prepare/eat dinner, in her cot under the mobile if im in the shower (or sometimes in the bathroom with me in her bouncer) and if i need the loo/need to make calls etc i pop a bit of playhouse disney on the tv, which she loves.

Its impossible to be with LO 24/7...well...possible but you'd be really thin and would smell pretty bad

 

[Mrs IKW]

Violet does like a lot of attention and has a loud 'whingy-grizzle' thing going on if I leave her for more than a couple of mins! She will play in her Jumperoo for maybe 20mins so I can do a bit of housework, eat etc but even then Im always within sight and talk to her... She sits in her Bumbo with me while I wash bottles, prepare lunch, have a shower, get dressed etc but Im lucky that she naps for a good 4 hours during the day usually, so I get things done when shes asleep either during the day or when shes gone to bed at night...

I sing all sorts of songs to her (which she loves - the only person to like my singing!!) or give her a running commentary of what we are doing/going to do... It works for us!

 

[Angela49uk]

I sing all sorts of songs to her (which she loves - the only person to like my singing!!) or give her a running commentary of what we are doing/going to do... It works for us!

Exactly the same with me lol no one else likes my singing, but LO loves it. I think its drives DH crazy when he's at home

 

[Angela49uk]

Glad I'm not the only one who leaves LO entertain himself for a little while. I also take him around the house with me sometimes when doing house work, as I think he quite likes to watch x

 

[captainj1]

My LO can't occupy himself for more than a couple of minutes (and that is quite rare!). I'm back at work now and he's in nursery, but I was finding it exhausting looking after him all day. The only place he is happy without constant interaction is his walker, and that's only because he's too busy bombing around the kitchen to notice whether i and there or not. And i have to be there because otherwise he is causing trouble trying to open cupboards and stuff!

He's a feisty little chap and always has been, I think they call it 'spirited'... basically he let's his feelings be known, loud and clear!

 

[xnewxmummyx]

Any time that LO is not asleep, I feel guilty for not interacting more I know that she can't be held all the time, she wants to be so I'm trying hard to get her used to being put down on her mat etc, but when I do I just feel bad.

I try and talk to her all the time, but it doesn't come as naturally as I thought it would, I just find myself saying the same things over and over! My mum says give her a running commentary of everything you do, which I try but then I find my mind wandering or I'm listening to the radio and I stop and feel so bad!!

I never used to understand the constant guilt mothers have; hell I do now!

I am the same.

Our house is a terraced so typically:

Living room at the front
Dinging room behind that
Kitchen at the end
Upstairs is well, upstairs, hahaha

So if LO is in living room and I am in kitchen its impossible to talk to her unless I shout lol. If she upstairs with me I just talk as I am going along but I am sure she thinks I am mad. And sometimes I forget myself and just go quiet again..if she babbles I'll have a aggoooo conversation with her lol!!

xx

 

[Angela49uk]

And sometimes I forget myself and just go quiet again..if she babbles I'll have a aggoooo conversation with her lol!! xx

Ooooh, I love these conversations. LO has taken to babbling most of the day now and he seems highly amused if i babble back

 

[MissFox]

I'm just starting ot be able to put my LO down and leave her to entertain herself. Last night was probably the longest although I try to leave her and put her on a mat but she gets bored. She had a good 30 minutes last night on the floor just kicking about and I didn't notice really until my friend mentioned how good she is at being put down... OOPS! I picked her up before she got fussy though and decided it was time for bed (staying at a friends house- bedtime routine OUT THE WINDOW and 2 hours late lol)

 

[goddess25]

I dont interact with her that much actually which is terrible. I have a demanding 2 year old boy who takes up a lot of attention and time which doesnt leave me much time to interact properly with Livi. When DS naps and goes to bed at night I make up for it. I am feeling very guilty about it though.

 

[whoops]

She's started to give out when I leave the room so she's pretty much always with me, but we're not always interacting. She's happy to lie in her gym or sit in her rocker or Bumbo and play with Sophie. I just have to be where she can see me. She's often happy to just sit on my knee and play with the remote while I watch TV.

I do feel guilty though if a bit of time passes and I haven't been interacting with her, especially if she seems to go particularly quiet. She loves attention and lights up when she's smiled at, so if she seems a bit solemn, I feel like I've been doing something wrong.

 

[tu123]

I used to pop LO on the play mat but now she is rolling it is too unsafe to do the dishes, etc.

She is nearly 7.5mths and teething at the mo so leaving her to play by herself is just not happening now!

Today has been cuddles after first feed, jumperoo, change, mat time with mummy, playtime on the bed with mummy, a few chores with LO in the carrier, sitting playing with mummy, and all over again! With feeds in between. She has slept for a total of 35mins since 6.30 this morning!

There is nothing wrong with independent playing. I like to think that if LO is independent playing by herself for twenty minutes then she feels secure and i have done a good job so far!

 

[aliss]

No not at all, they need time to explore on their own! I can't "show" him everything, he will learn more through self exploration.