what do you do... with a 3 month old baby to spend the day?

[jabuti]

hi,

im a new mom and it might come accross as a weird question... but if my baby is not sleeping, eating, or in the buggy out, what do you do with the rest of the time? i put her in her little rocking chair, but she gets bored easily.

[bunnyhunny]

you sound like me 6 months ago!

carry her about, talking to her. Put her under a baby gym. let her watch as you do stuff around the house. vaguely amuse her dangling things over her that she can attempt to bat at. prop her up and read her stories

ds LOVED sitting under a mirror!

[Anna8888]

She can watch you do ironing - my baby used to love watching all the clothes flapping around. Sit her in her little rocking chair and make sure it is at the right height (I used to iron at the bottom of a double bed with the chair sitting in the middle of the bed).

[DoctorFrankenSquonk]

you can sing songs to her - babies love it when you dance around and pull funny faces, you can read books to her (I mean cardboard, baby ones, she may get a bit lost at War and Peace) You can tickle her.

[jabuti]

i thought i was being cruel by making her to watch me doing things around the house from her rocking chair. but im glad to know that its ok!

thank you for the tips and to know that you also didnt know what to do (bunnyhunny), i feel a bit more normal! i wondered if im too hyper to be a mom.

[CatIsSleepy]

my dd enjoyed being in the baby gym (short spells to begin with)

listening to nursery rhyme CDs/music in general especially if you sing along and make silly faces/actions

watching me do various exciting things like hanging up the washing

she also had a mobile (of the musical, dangly variety, not a phone...)which I set up so she could watch from her bouncy chair

[Habbibu]

Jabuti, babies are great sounding boards! They love just being with you, and you can just chat to her about anything at all - if you get cross with something you hear on the radio, tell her all about it!

[jumpyjan]

I think at that age (and even now - DD 9 months) they just love watching you potter about doing things. Sometimes I feel bad if I have got lots of washing up to do after cooking DD's lunch as she has to sit in her high chair until I am done but I look at her and she looks fascinated at what I am doing and the taps being turned on and off. The washing machine is a good one aswell!

Other than that I bought the Blossom Farm baby gym from ELC which was good and I read stories to her as I think they quite like the rythm of the words and the sound of your voice.

[Habbibu]

There's also FRanny's treasure baskets idea - not sure what ages she talks about. Back anon.

[jabuti]

ha! im laughing imagining these babies watching their moms!

i googled franny's treasure basket ideas and nothing came up. is that the name for sure?

ok, getting her gym out (havent used it yet, lets see if she likes it, thought she might be too small for it).

[Habbibu]

search on mn for heuristic play or wnaky baskets. FrannyandZooey is the guru

[jabuti]

am reading right now, and DD in her gym. so far so good.

[BlueberryPancake]

They love their toes... socks off and on the floor! Leave her to play on her tummy as well. They love anything that makes sounds, don't they, so little rattles and shakers. I absolutely love putting music on and dancing around with DS2 in my arms, especially salsa music (I'm rubbish but he doesn't mind!).

[jabuti]

ha! i waltz with my DD. i've been putting her on her tummy everyday. she HATES it. but i wont give up cause i want her to crawl before she walks. i find absolutely adorable when they crawl!

[buggle]

check out the local "big scream" cinema events. You can go to participating cinemas with your baby under 1 year and you can feed/ cuddle/ pace up and down AND see a film, safe in the knowledge that there's always another babe making more noise.
please- just do it for me as cinema is now a thing of the past!!

[elkiedee]

Find out about local groups, activities at children's centres etc. I took my baby to the park a lot over the summer as he loves lying on the grass looking at trees, but that's not a helpful suggestion in October.

[shezzah]

Hey ,
Its not a silly question i used to over stimulate my first and then he would be tired so quiet tummy time or on hot day cool mid day bath just for fun .
Dress bub up and down for some cute pics.Have some friends over and put blankie on the grass for bubs , while you chat .
Enjoy 3 months turns into 3 years really quick.

Shezzah

[jabuti]

thats what i've been told shezzah, that they grow really fast... her neck is now so firm, and it was yesterday that she looked like a little shrimp all rolled up in my arms.
yesterday i had a long bath with her. today we went 'swimming'.

i go to the park everyday for an hour, because i need to walk our dog too. so thats one hour that i know she will be either sleeping or attentively looking at the leaves.

and i should look into the baby cinema too, thanks bubble! and all for the tips.

[Skimty]

Amazing baby books are really good. Lots of pictures of babies. DS loved looking at them at that age. Amazing Baby I Love You is still one of his favourites ten months later

[jabuti]

i hadnt heard about these books yet skimty, checking them out now. thank you!

[jabuti]

is it a big book with big pictures of babies, is that right skimty?

[Skimty]

Yes, it is. DS loves them!

[ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween]

You just take her out and do whatever you want! They are so portable at this age but you don't realise just how portable until they're older and you've missed your moment

BayDragon used to love the lighting department in Ikea...

[stickyj]

Take her to baby music classes ( oh what the hell, I never say who I am but my classes are shit hot and I don't care!!). DH is being an arse (albeit cooking tea) and I don't careTalk to babies, whatever comes into your mind, sing to them, sing your shopping lists they don't care, just look at them and talk to them!

[ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween]

Personally I wouldn't fork out for baby music classes for a 3 month old. A playgroup can be good as they can just watch other people and it's usually only £1 or so with the bonus of adults for you to talk to.

[heifer]

Take her to meet your friends at lunch time.

I used to love taking my DD to the pub (non smoking) to have lunch with my old work colleagues...

I think we went to Mini Musicians when she was 3 months but she may have been a little older.

I used to spend ages with her on my lap lying on the bed talking and singing to her.

Walking the dogs, doing the chores etc, time seemed to fly by.