Keeping 4 Month Old Entertained

Hi J.-
I remember not getting anything done at the 4 month stage and now, even at 7 mo. I still can't get a lot done. My solution is to use a carrier - i really liked the Bjorn at 4 months, but my daughter grows so quickly I have to use something for heavier kids, so I am using th Ergo.

slingstation.com has a lot of different carriers to choose from if you're interested.
good luck!

Buy a pouch, sac or baby bjorn. she'll love to be on you and she'll learn from watching all the things you do. The best bit is no crying because she is on you, and you get to get your work done.

My daughter loved the Jumperoo at that age...

How old it your other child? could they just play on the other side of the playpen while you do things?

Also, if you have a window or a door put the playpen or whatever you have in front of the door, just the light and the sky will be nice for her. Music and depending on the time you need for 15 minutes or so, put the TV in front of her????\\

Hi J., I used the tiny love "symphony in motion mobile" ot keep my son entertained. I think it runs in 20 minute cycles--perfect for getting a few things done or jumping in the shower. It has bells and whistles like different sound and light settings. I would need some time to shower int he morning and this always did the trick! HE LOVED it! It's my new shower gift for my friends.

Its not cheap but worth EVERY PENNY for the peace it gives you and enjoyment for the baby!
http://www.babyage.com/products/00796_tiny_love_tiny_love...

Fondly, T.
working mom with wonderful husband and amazing 10 mos old son!

Hi, J.!
I know where you're coming from! My 8 month old is VERY active & actually doesn't care to be put down at all, so getting stuff done can be challenging.

Do you have a baby sling? I find that using mine is almost always the easiest way to get anything done around the house. Plus I know that he's safe, entertained & happy. Not only that, but they learn a lot from following you around the house--there's a lot of repetition & it's a much different persepective from way up there for them.

Of course, I am biased about which sling to choose, if you don't already have one. I have a baby sling company called THING-A-MA-SLING & they hold babies from birth to 35 lbs. They have 3 built-in pockets (for cell, wallet, toys, sippy cup, etc...), are machine washable & dryable & are designed for maximum comfort for both the wearer & baby. IF you'd like more info, please check out my site: www.ThingaMaSling.com . I do now have instructions and much of what I have in stock is NOT listed online. :-(
I'd be happy to even meet with you some time IF you would like to try one out or to see what I have available.

Either way, I hope you find something that works for you & your girls!!!
Take care!
A.

J.,
wear her in a sling, and you will both be happy! I still sling Brianna sometimes and we still love it.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to e me directly.
smiles,
L., 39
Brianna 21m & yes! still bf'ing!
and baby
in Evansburg/Skippack/Collegeville
butterflylindamarie at yahoo dot com

Hello J.. I'm a mother of 2 year old twins who were very active infants. It seemed that they were always doing things way ahead of the curve. I bought them a jumpy-jump (that's what I called it anyway). Fisher-Price makes them with activities on it just like a swing, but she can jump instead. Of course, make sure she has developed head stability already. My children were on the light side for weight so in the beginning they sort of did more hanging there, but when they got excited and got kicking their feet the jumper would move with them. Another nice thing is that the jumper can move from room to room so that you can keep an eye on baby. I hope that helps. Best wishes for you and your little one.

Put that baby on your back in a sling or in a Mai Tai.

I have a friend with NINE children and just delivered her first mother as a midwife -- her less than one year old went to all the births she assisted ----on her back.

She also ran a daycare for 17 years. She was a babywearer.
If your local there will be other vendors besides myself who carry lots of slings at the LaLecheLeague Regional Conference near the airport on the 19th of April. Registration is in advance. But it is a great place to get a feel for the natural parenting approaches that have worked for --- ever.
http://theslingstation.com/
www.babywearers.com

Hi J....The baby Bjorn carrier is great, sometimes I put my daughter in it while vaccuuming. Also, one day when my daughter got really fussy and I didn't know what to do...I pulled the baby jumper out of the box for the first time. It was awesome and she calmed down instantly! She had a fun time jumping and its so easy to set-up, it hangs from a doorway and is portable...not to mention it has a rubber bumper around the seat to protect your little one while they are jumping. Another thing that I do is to bring her exersaucer or other activity stuff into the room that I'm needing to get work done in. She's content doing her own thing knowing that I'm still in site. Also, last but not least I sometimes put the Noggin channel on and she's ok with that just long enough for me to get things done. Best of luck! :-)

How about one of those gate things you set up in a circle - like on the Rugrats - lay her in there with some toys - it'll give her more room to move around in. It sounds like she just wants to go, go, go!

Hi J.!

Have you ever tried to put in a Baby Einstien dvd/video? I know all children are different, as I have 3 children totally different from the other. My youngest is a brite 4 year old girl that was also very active. I would put her in a large truck like walker with lots of fun stuff on it, put her in front of the tv with video in and WOW, I could get her to sit still for the whole length of the movie! She loved it. I know not everyone agrees that you should use a tv as a babysitter but at this point you need to do what works best so you can get something done! It's a wonderful learning video and I can't say enough about it. Hope this helps. Take Care! L.

when i had my first one it seemed i couldnt get anything done when he was that age but i got into the baby einstine videos. they are great because they have music an the different pictures come up every couple of seconds so he didnt get bored. i think the video last about 20 mins to a half hour. they have ones for all ages. i have 3 kids now ( 5,3,1) an they all loved them they still like to watch them from time to time. good luck let me know if this works!

play pen. How old the other girl? blocks, toys, music she has to learn to be able to amuse herself for a small amt of time now. even 15 min not out of question.

Hi J.,
If I remember correctly, 30 minutes of uninterrupted time when you have a child that age is a rare thing! LOL My son used to be mesmerized by the Baby Einstein videos/DVD's. Although I am not a fan of "parking" a kid in front of a television, he used to be quite happy in a bouncy seat for a half hour while watching those programs. It's amazing what you can get done in 30 minutes if you can focus! Good luck to you!

How about a play pen or pack 'n play? Or, at 4 months she's probably taking 2 naps a day, try to get stuff done then.

Hi J.,
I highly recommend the following bouncy seat, if my son wasn't so big now he would still enjoy sitting in it. It is the Fisher Price Aquarium Bouncer Chair.

http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2002&e=product...

Take care.
L.