Is This a Phase? My 5 Month Old Son Is Bored to Tears!

I WOULD SAY IT ITS A PHASE, i THINK IT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE TEETHING IF THERE IS DROOLING GOING ON, i WOULD TRY PUTTING A TEETHING RING IN THE FREEZER AND WHEN HE GETS FUZZY GIVE IT TO HIM IF ITS TEETHING THE COOLNESS OF THE TEETHING RING WILL FEEL VERY GOOD TO HIM. SOME PEOPLE TRY FROZEN WAFFLES TO LET THEM CHEW BUT YOU REALLY HAVE TO WATCH THAT THEY DON'T BITE OFF SOME, THE TEETHING RING IS SAFER I THINK

He certainly could be teething. Have you tried Hyland's Teething Tablets, or giving him some Infant Tylenol?

The only other advice I can give you is don't think you have to entertain him 24/7, or step in when he gets frustrated. Teach him how to entertain himself now, or else you will have a 5 year old that needs constant interaction and entertainment.

Right before my little guy started crawling, he would see a toy on the other side of the room, and reach for it and roll to it, but he would get frustrated if he couldn't quite get it. We let him try to get it on his own for a few minutes, before stepping in and either moving him or handing him the toy.

It's ok to have him just sit in a chair and watch you do chores. I do this all the time, and I tell my son he is "supervising"!

Good luck to you.

I loved using the Bumbo!
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-3/qid=122314011...
I used it alone or with the tray. You can take it into any room you are in and it helps him sit up and play with books and toys. Babies at this age can't really move yet or sit up but they want to, so helping them makes them a bit happier. I also used a Boppy
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=122314015...
for helping them sit or to prop up for tummy time. I highly recommend both these items! Also, I found my son really started to like balls and mirrors. We have this awesome aquarium mat (http://www.target.com/Fisher-Price-Ocean-Wonders-Kick-Cra...)
thingy from Target that came with a mirror and a blow up ball with bells in it! LOVES IT! Water mats are nice too. It gives them something stationary that they can move things in. I remember this stage, it can be frustrating. Hang in there...next thing you know they learn to crawl and are into everything (that's the stage I am experiencing now!). Hope this helped a bit!

B.,
My daughter was very active too when she was that age. Think of his longing for activities as a good thing...the more a baby wants to explore, the more he will learn :) I can really relate to your issue, it seemed to me too, that my daughter got "bored" with staying in one place. I think he is just longing to be mobile. I have read that children at this age have the mental capacity to intend to move, but become frustrated when their bodies do not cooperate with their intentions. I found that a jumperoo works very well to burn off energy and provide him with the feeling of accomplishment in being mobile.

Our son sounds similar to yours. Although I can't remember it starting that young -- we have found that we MUST take our son out of the house everyday (usually before and after nap time). Even when he was little, outtings to the park -- grocery store -- or target helped a lot. Our son was also anxious to get on the move and crawled young and was walking well by 11 months.

I'm sure some of us would say that we are catering too much too his wants by making these outtings part of the day, but it makes him happier and and we get chores done. Now that our son is 2 -- sometime all we have to do is take a walk down the street while he pulls his wagon. At night it helps calm him down when he gets bored if we walk to "get the mail".

Not sure this is helpful or what you want to hear -- but I know it has helped (and still does) our family.

Your baby is growing and you can't expect the same routine to "entertain" him as he grows. You need to introduce new things, like walks in the stroller or trips out. (My son loved to look at people and just be "out"). You're also right about him being ready to move, I noticed with both my kids that once they could move, they were much happier childen.

Be careful, I think labeling your son as "willful" at such a young age is just setting yourself up to have a willful child.

Sounds to me like he wants to move. Mine got really crabby right before they walked and right before they talked. My eldest was in a walker at three and half months. (I had to put larger shoes over the shoes that fit him in order to make it possible for him to reach the floor.) It was the only thing that kept him occupied for longer than a few minutes. Before that the Johnny-Jump-Up and the swing helped, but never for long. Both sons walked at nine months and have barely stopped moving since and they are now in their twentys! Both were early movers, are very inquisitive and highly intelligent and are now successful young men.

My kids were exactly the same way. I've seen these mellow kids lately, who are content to lay there and be near the action, but never mine. We always had to involve them as much as possible. It drove us crazy, but now that they're older (well, the first one is) we're seeing how engaged he is with the real world, and it's wonderful. He's super-attentive and enjoys life. Anyway--we backpacked him while we did chores so he could see over our shoulder. We involved him in what we were doing (This is terrible...but my first was browning hamburger as a toddler, pretty much on his own. We were right there, but he was doing it--because he was so interested.), be it cooking or gardening or cleaning or laundry. We went outside a LOT--that helped a ton. Five months will be a little rough this winter, but even walks have helped our kids--it soothes the baby enough to think about sleep after a cool evening walk these days. Vary the pace. My boys are both very bored quickly with their indoor toys, so we head outside and to other people's houses. The folks who say he needs to learn to play alone are right, but he is also only 5 months old. That will come, and it might be harder for you to teach him that than it is for some other parents whose kids are more content to play alone. It's only recently my four year old enjoys playing alone in his room for more than 10 minutes. Engage him with other kids. Even though he's only 5 months, I'll bet he's interested by people--watching them, having them around, having them talk to, entertain, and be near him. Run errands (if he's your only one) when he's awake and interested. Go places where he can see things--zoos, malls, hikes, gardens, etc. Honestly, my kids have been in this "phase" for a while, but we just tell ourselves they're very, very smart and easily bored and we try our best to enjoy it! Good luck--you're in for a wild (but fun) ride!!!

B.; well first of all you said it in your sentence, he is 5 months old, all they really need from you is your attention and love, also he may be cutting teeth this does change thier personality a bit, kids dont get bored, we think they are bored, kids are taught to be bored, he may just be uncomfortable, and dont know himself what he needs, since he is after all 5 months old, hang in there, keep loving him as you do, dont fret over it, just love him and us humans are social creatures, and we love to interact with others, usually toys are not needed, sounds like you are doing well, keep up the good work, and continue as you are giving him the attention he needs. any way , enjoy life, D. s

You shouldn't feel like you have to entertain you child all day. I think it is important for children to learn to entertain themselves starting in infancy. At 5 months there is still so much to discover, I don't see how he can be bored. I did a lot of tummy time with various toys that she could choose to play with and I just observed. Maybe it is more frustration. You said he wants to crawl and gets frustrated because he can't. Our daughter was this way too. I just let her get frustrated (within reason) then I would help her do what she was trying to do hopeing this would help her learn. Hope that helps.

How much sleep is he getting? He may be cranky and bored because he's too tired. Usually kids who get good sleep (night and naps) can play by themselves and are more even tempered. Maybe check out some sleep books from the library. I found they helped guide me.

You have to remember that kids learn at a very early age how to push their parents buttons and your little guy is pushing yours. I know that it's hard being a first time mother. I used to call my oldest the "Great Experiment" because he's the model that we tried and failed with and he would try and push buttons all of the time. Like someone said, put him in his play pen with a couple of his toys, put him in an area where you can watch him and if he cries, just tell him that he's ok, step into his line of site so that he knows that you're still there and then let him cry it out. Now if he's teething or you think he's teething, take him into the doctor just to see that he doesn't have an ear or sinus infection or anything else. You might want to put a movie in for him just to watch. I recommend the Thomas the Tank Engine DVD's. My youngest (he's 12 now) has been watching them since he's been born. He still loves to watch them. The are colorful, fast moving and teaches some very good values (the stories were written by a Vicor in England for his children). As a side note, listen to each of his cries. You'll be able to tell the difference between a hungry cry, a mad cry and a "I'm hurting" cry.

My twin daughters got bored at this age also, we used a Jumperoo and it worked wonders. One would swing for 15 mins and the other would be in the Jumperoo and then we would switch. They loved the Jumperoo because it got them moving around and they could control how much they moved in it.

M.
mom to Ryan 9
Abbey and Alexa 3

My babies were antsy too and they grew to be very active boys. I do wish sometimes I had "trained" them to play by themselves better, but they were always high maintenance and maybe it wouldn't have worked anyhow. Mine wouldn't sit in a stroller either. We would put them in a backpack or some sort of baby carrier while we did the dishes, laundry, etc. so they were part of the action. Maybe a different kind of carrier would be easier on your back. We had a backpack that allowed them to look over our shoulder at what we were doing. Do you have a "Johnny Jump Up?" They are popular with active kids. He'll probably be much happier as soon as he learns to sit up and crawl, which won't be long. Good luck!

B.,
I think this may be a phase, but I wonder if it is a phase you are going through rather than your baby. It sounds like you may be the one who is bored and frustrated with the same old routine. Your feelings can certainly be felt by your baby and may be causing him to be more tense. Sounds like you're not smiling as much anymore either. Maybe you need to change up your routine. Obviously baby can go where you go, they are mobile. Take some outings. Even if its things for you and your sanity! Your baby doesn't know yet that the trip to Walmart wasn't a trip to the zoo for him. I wouldn't rule out the stroller for your little guy yet. Sometimes you have to keep re-introducing things to your baby while they are adjusting to something new (like strollers or even foods). He seems very young to have quite as many likes and dislikes as you mention. But remember babies don't have a very long attention span just like toddlers and preschoolers. As an adult, I would be bored to tears if one of my daily activities was watching the cars go by. Your baby probably doesn't realize that's what you were even doing. Its too far away for him to actually focus his attention on. Some of my favorite times with my baby were singing to him and being silly with him. There was a certain song that he would always laugh for. And don't worry if you don't feel you have a great voice, to your baby...it's the best thing since the Nuk! Try resuming some of your pre-baby routine, your baby will be auto-entertained by whatever you do. You may have to shorten your activities from what you did pre-baby but you can still get out and be an adult. My baby and I went everywhere together.

Life changes after a baby, but that doesn't mean you have to don a clown suit and be a 24/7 entertainer. You still have chores, errands and outings to take. Show your baby what you have to do as an adult and throw in some strictly baby entertainment/education along the way.

Take care,
V.

Not sure what type of naps he is taking but it sounds like he is tired. We had this same experience with our daughter who is now 7 months old. She was really getting a short attention span. Especially in the morning. We actually give her a nap about 2 hours after she wakes up in the morning. Her naps are now longer and she is a much more happy baby through out the day. She does not seem as needy. I too thought she was just frustrated because all she could do was sit. Have patience with this though... it may be a couple months away. :)

Probably absolutely normal. My son goes through phases just like you describe, and usually it's teething. This last time it was a double ear infection, so if he's pulling on his ears you might want to get him checked.

Other than that, it will probably pass, and come back, and pass, and come back...;-)

Have you hidden some toys away for a few weeks? You could bring them out as a "new surprise" that might entertain him while hiding a few others one away for next month.

Does he have a walker? Does he like to do that? Or some other means of locomotion? My 8 month old desperately wants to walk, and while he can cruise all over the family room, he can't quite manage more than 1 or 2 steps on his own, if that. When he gets frustrated because he can't chase the cat or dog, I often let him toddle around in his walker for a bit because he can move where *he* wants to go in it and it helps strengthen up his leg muscles.

Is he getting enough daytime sleep? He should be taking one to three naps at this point. A morning one around two hours after he wakes up, then an afternoon nap, and maybe a short 45 minute nap in the late afternoon. But the third one is optional. His bedtime should be between 7-8pm. He might not be getting enough sleep and that is what would cause him to be so crabby and restless. We use the book by Kim West called
Good Night Sleep Tight.

I would think at his age it's more frustration than boredom. He'll be mobile before you know it! Don't feel like you have to entertain him ALL the time. That'll make things worse for him. He needs to be able to entertain himself and that's a learned skill. Maybe you could try rotating his toys. That way when they reappear they'll seem new.

It's a little difficult to tell from your description what the cause of his unhappiness is, or exactly what he is expressing as symptoms (ie biting and drooling for teething, needing to nap more often due to a growth spurt, or squirming around and screaming due to intolerance of food). You describe a very active regime of activities... could he be wanting some down time and less stimulation? Overstimulated babies will be crabby, and the more you try to entertain then with new toys and talking, baby will cry more and more. Does that sound like what you're experiencing?

If it just is desire to crawl... My 6 mo old daughter is kind of at the same place. When she would get frustrated with inability to crawl, sometimes sitting her up in an independent sitting position with toys within reach helped. Or just distracting her from her crawling efforts in some way worked.

Good luck to you, and happy first time mothering!
T.

sometimes we just need to let them be-give it a try-i think hes just yankin your chain...put him in the playpen-or whatever-and walk away-hes way to young to get bored....

A baby wrap carrier is not so h*** o* your back, you may find that easier to use. I wish I had known about them with all my children!
All of my children got very fussy before they hit a new stage, like sitting, crawling, walking, talking.
I suggest you let him work it out some and fuss alone on the floor for awhile each day. Teaching him to crawl really doesn't work. (ask me how I know after 7 kids, lol)
The crying is frustrating, but if you pick him up when he starts it will defeat his ability to learn to crawl. It is hard, I hate letting my kids cry, but sometimes they just need to. Stop at that stage between fussing/crying and losing it, though.
Hang in there! This will be over soon and you'll long for this over the next horrible stage, lol.

Your son sounds like a very busy little guy who is very eager to learn as much as possible. I had a baby like that at one time! I always enjoyed using one of those baby backpacks, because wearing them in the front carrier and/or in the sling is sometimes h*** o* our lower back region and the baby backpack was certainly a relief. That way, he can keep a close eye on everything. Good luck, and I hope you give it a try. Keep in mind that not all baby backpacks are made equal...some cut into the crotch and can hurt! Take a test drive before buying. Have fun!

Hi,

Your son is definately not bored at his young age. Is he mobile in someway??? (rolling over one or both ways)?? He would be able to entertain himself and find toys if he's able to be mobile in anyway.

Otherwise, make sure he's getting adequate sleep. All babies require a diifferent amount of sleep. Generally speaking. When he wakes up in the morning and after breakfast more than likely he will be tired for a morning nap around 9ish. He'll take a bit of a nap, then wake up and play or go on an outing. Have lunch around noon or 12:30pm then down for afternoon nap around 1pm again. Wake up around 3pm and play until dinner and bedtome routine and down by 7pm. A routine something like that makes for a very happy and well-rested baby.

Just a quick hint, and coming from experience. With our first child I spent so much time with her and she talked early and had all her needs taken care of. To this day she's 5 years and has trouble playing on her own and needs a lot of attention because that's what I conditioned her for since she was a baby. I have three children and my other two play so well on their own. My oldest is learning how to play on her own because I force her to have quiet alont play time or younger sister gets her to play with her. She'll choose to play or talk with adults though even when kids are around. Just something I've learned along the way.

Teething could very likely be the other reason for the crying and being uncomfortable. I've found that those bath letters/numbers are great biters for baby because they are that softer foam feeling material.

Anyways, don't worry so much. Playing with baby can get monotonous at times but blocking play times and making a schedule for mom to go by kind of helps mom deal with things to do and breaking up the day a bit.

Hope everything goes well, and it's amazing the things we learn as parents as our babies grow into toddlers and toddlers into children, etc..... it's defiantely a journey.

Take Care, L.

My advice would be to just try to relax! You don't have to entertain him 24/7. He's only 5 months old and babies that young don't get bored. Maybe it's something else. ? I think your hunch about him teething could be the answer--that's right around the time both of my boys started teething--when a baby cries, they're just trying to communicate something to you. Sometimes you won't be able to figure it out but that's OK! That's normal! Usually, it means they're not feeling well, need a dipey change, hungry, you know, a wide array of things.

He's not "pushing your buttons" either. I read that in one of the responses, what is that woman like 80? Seriously, a 5 month old does not know how to "push buttons"!! Not even at 1 year old do they know how to push buttons. UGH!

Sounds like you're a great mom who's really involved. I would watch out with labeling your son as "willful" just like his father. He's just a baby! By labeling him, he will most likely become willful because it's what you're expecting from him. :) GOod luck with everything!

just keep doing what you are doing.

if you like carriers, i HIGHLY recommend a moby wrap. i thought i had tried them all, and another one wouldnt make it any better, but this was FAR more comfortable thn ANY other sling or carrier i had tried. my back didnt hurt after using it!

babies love to be in those because they are right with us and they can see everything that we are doing - and beleive it or not, those things are fascinating to babies! just talk to him through what all you are doing... its so interesting for hiM!

babies do start teething around now, so a lot of his discomfort can be from that. if you use any pain methods, keep it up and see if it helps. also, if you are starting solids, it can cause tummy disruptions... so be patient and do not hurry. however, DONT feel for any reason that you should start solids. some moms dont start until after a year old! breastmilk or formula are the only things nutritionally necessary until after a year old.

:D
anyway just keep plugging at it. one thing i found that helps with bordom with toys was to rotate the toys once every couple months. put some away, get some out... it maybe will help with any bordom.

good luck
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