Things to do with your 6 month old indoors

[Anonymous]

I am at home all day and all night with my 6 month old child. And I am running out of activities to do with him. I sing to him, do tummy time, dance around with him, play him snippets of music, play peekabo and it's only about 9am at this point.
Can I read a book to him (a book that is mine- I am reading angels and demons) or would that be too boring?
How much alone time can I give him? I am tempted to give him a toy and let him chew it out so I can do stuff on my own, but then I feel guilty for not playing with him.
When it is nice weather we go on walks, but like today, I really can't get outside. And I do not have a car. Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

read your book to him, just read it is a kid friendly tone.

[Anonymous]

Tons of ideas here, OP. Babies are my passion. Reading your book outloud to your son, would be excellent. Let him see your face. That's how he'll learn to form his own words. Let him see how much you delight, with your speech formation.
Alone time is good, as long as he's got something to do. Manipulating his own fingers (and toes!) seems to provide endless entertainment. If you can give your son a nice wooden toy (not made in China), that would be wonderful for exploration.
Outside walks are incredibly beneficial. But bundle him up really well. Did you see the resent study showing that the more outside time a child has, the lower his/her chances of developing eye problems, even if the parents wear glasses? Amazing.

What a great Mama you are, to be concerned with your child's activities.

[Anonymous]

Well, I'd say you don't have to play-play with him constatly. 6 mo olds are sometimes fascinated to just sit and watch you work so long as you entertain them along the way with jibber-jabber and mookie facies.

I remember my daughter loving to do baby yoga with me on the video (sigh, back in the day when I quasi-exercised). She also liked to sit in a pile of clean laundry (so warm and soft!). Ummmm, what else... Oh, and she breastfed. A lot, it seemed!

[Anonymous]

Exersaucer, jumperoo, swing, playmat...guess I need to go join the "bad moms" thread....

[Anonymous]

We had the same kind of day here. DD got to watch me wash dishes -- ooh the thrill -- and sort and pack up her clothes that don't fit anymore. We started solids which, sadly, did not take up as much time as I thought it would. But she did a fair amount of chomping on her toes, chomping on Sophie, her giraffe, and on most anything else that came near her mouth. And now she's in bed and I miss her already - funny how that works! I'm just hoping for warmer weather and/or clear roads tomorrow so we can get out for a bit!

[Anonymous]

Sh*t, 19:12, I use all those things. Am I a bad mom? I didn't see the thread!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sh*t, 19:12, I use all those things. Am I a bad mom? I didn't see the thread!?

19:12 here. I think you're an awesome mom, just like me! My baby doesn't want me in his face cooing all day...too boring, apparently! He likes his noisy plastic toys, and heck, a mom's got to cook and clean and surf DCUM sometimes.

[Anonymous]

I read a lot of Dr Suess books to DD at that age. Books like the Lorax and the Cat in the Hat are long enough to sit and cuddle and relax for 10 minutes, and they also have pictures and a nice rhyming tone. Now that DD is older, she won't sit still for the whole book.

[Anonymous]

I used to cook and explain to my baby what I was doing.. YEAH... nmothing else to do..
OH! and I bought a DVD mommy and baby YOGA... I got tired and he was relax and he was passing gaz sometimes wich was GREAT!!!! bath after that and I could even take a shower beacuse I used to feed him after bath time and he would fall asleep

[Anonymous]

You reminded me I need to finish angels and demons!

Re the question: You can read the baby whatever you want! Just use an animated voice/vary your tones and you could be reading him the dictionary and he'll be happy.

[Anonymous]

Apparently, my dad used to read medical books to me when he was in med school and I was a baby. I read case law to my daughter when she was a baby.

[Anonymous]

OP here- to those who explain/ talk to baby while you cook- how do you physically do it? My 6 month old cannot sit yet. So do you just put them in a car seat and and on the kitchen floor and then talk down?

[Anonymous]

bumbo. bumbo. bumbo.

[Anonymous]

I have a fussy one so I stick him in an umbrella stroller and push him back and forth with one hand while I talk/unload the dishwasher/cook/whatever. Keeps him happy enough for half an hour at a time.