Help keep my hyper baby happy
September 26, 2014 12:07 AM Subscribe
My wonderful almost-seven-month-old is very, very active. All the "things to do with your baby" websites/books assume the baby will just sit there quietly. What did/do you do with your little livewire to keep them amused?
She's always been lively - from about a month old she has never sat quietly in my (or anyone else's) arms. She loves to stand up, holding onto my fingers, and she can sit unsupported, but she's not crawling yet and really wants to (we practise this a bit but she gets quite frustrated). Sometimes she's happy to lie on her back and be tickled, but she usually wants to sit/stand up after a while. She loves being outside and we go for lots of walks together with her in a sling (I don't have a car) - this is the only time she's still! She is kind of a thrillseeker and really loves being bounced/thrown/flown around a bit (carefully, of course!).
The problem is that I can't do anything with her that requires her to be stationary or - I realise this sounds silly because she's a baby! - concentrate. We can't really do books, because she squirms around or tries to chew them, and this really worries me because I keep hearing how important it is to read to even very little babies (I read her a story before bed but again there's a lot of squirming and chewing). I take her to a few baby classes and she tends to get fed up quickly unless there are a lot of changes of position and activity (we go to a little music group and she likes playing with the instruments but won't sit still for the singing, for example).
I actually wonder if she's quite normal, because literally all the other babies I see are so much calmer and quieter than she is (she's pretty vocal too), but my health visitor assures me she's just very active and might well calm down once she can get around by herself. Until she does, can anyone suggest any strategies? I'm exhausted by the end of the day!
She's always been lively - from about a month old she has never sat quietly in my (or anyone else's) arms. She loves to stand up, holding onto my fingers, and she can sit unsupported, but she's not crawling yet and really wants to (we practise this a bit but she gets quite frustrated). Sometimes she's happy to lie on her back and be tickled, but she usually wants to sit/stand up after a while. She loves being outside and we go for lots of walks together with her in a sling (I don't have a car) - this is the only time she's still! She is kind of a thrillseeker and really loves being bounced/thrown/flown around a bit (carefully, of course!).
The problem is that I can't do anything with her that requires her to be stationary or - I realise this sounds silly because she's a baby! - concentrate. We can't really do books, because she squirms around or tries to chew them, and this really worries me because I keep hearing how important it is to read to even very little babies (I read her a story before bed but again there's a lot of squirming and chewing). I take her to a few baby classes and she tends to get fed up quickly unless there are a lot of changes of position and activity (we go to a little music group and she likes playing with the instruments but won't sit still for the singing, for example).
I actually wonder if she's quite normal, because literally all the other babies I see are so much calmer and quieter than she is (she's pretty vocal too), but my health visitor assures me she's just very active and might well calm down once she can get around by herself. Until she does, can anyone suggest any strategies? I'm exhausted by the end of the day!
Haha OMG forget the books until she's at least a year old. I used to fret about that just like you. Now my 3 year old has a book collection that's beginning to rival mine, while my ten month old is chewing them all up.
And yes, they get way less noisily frustrated once they can crawl. But they also turn into Destructobaby. So the stress for you is about the same.
Don't expect her to watch anything quietly (not even tv works). Except...get her to a playground. My kids both love/ loved watching older kids tear about , yelling. Plus you can sit her on the swings and stuff. So that's my advice.
And wait it out!
posted by Omnomnom at 12:29 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
And yes, they get way less noisily frustrated once they can crawl. But they also turn into Destructobaby. So the stress for you is about the same.
Don't expect her to watch anything quietly (not even tv works). Except...get her to a playground. My kids both love/ loved watching older kids tear about , yelling. Plus you can sit her on the swings and stuff. So that's my advice.
And wait it out!
posted by Omnomnom at 12:29 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Teenagers. Do you know any? Lots of teenagers would love to hang out with your active baby for a while and hopefully tire her out a bit so it's easier for you later.
posted by emilyw at 12:43 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by emilyw at 12:43 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Door frame bouncer? (My nephew loved his)
posted by kjs4 at 12:49 AM on September 26, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by kjs4 at 12:49 AM on September 26, 2014 [4 favorites]
Do you have any kind of door jumper, baby walker, or activity mats, for her? If she's active and interested in mobility, these may provide entertainment and you can often pick them up second hand for very little.
You can sit her up in the tub if she's safely supervised, and baths are not just for bedtime. If she likes water, you can get a tub safety seat that will allow her to play upright.
Also, I am a fan of baby wearing and slings, but she might enjoy the novelty of the upright, front-facing position of a stroller. (I swear I am not sling-ist!)
posted by DarlingBri at 12:54 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
You can sit her up in the tub if she's safely supervised, and baths are not just for bedtime. If she likes water, you can get a tub safety seat that will allow her to play upright.
Also, I am a fan of baby wearing and slings, but she might enjoy the novelty of the upright, front-facing position of a stroller. (I swear I am not sling-ist!)
posted by DarlingBri at 12:54 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I could have written this question myself, 5 months ago. Welcome to the club of extraordinarily thrill-seeking activity babies and their tired parents! Ours did calm down a tiny bit once he could crawl and climb and wasn't limited to squirming, and also once he started sleeping a bit better.
Social interaction seemed to help a lot; we went to baby meetups or cafes, or just walking around in the stroller or wrap/Ergo helped as he could direct his energy toward flirting with random people and observing busy places. Kept him stimulated and we got a bit of a break. Babyproofing a room also helped, so he could roam and seek trouble without much risk or constraint. Hanging out on lawns and generally being outside was (and still often is) better than the confinement of home. Previously, we could also get some minutes of peace by having him bounce in his Babybjörn chair and playing with a toy arc attached to that chair.
Among the many many calm babies, there was one other energizer bunny, his soulmate and partner in crime to crawl off with or over each other and try to eat pebbles with. It was nice to not be the only ones anymore. This is to say, yes, it's exceptional, but you are not alone and all is well.
posted by meijusa at 1:33 AM on September 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
Social interaction seemed to help a lot; we went to baby meetups or cafes, or just walking around in the stroller or wrap/Ergo helped as he could direct his energy toward flirting with random people and observing busy places. Kept him stimulated and we got a bit of a break. Babyproofing a room also helped, so he could roam and seek trouble without much risk or constraint. Hanging out on lawns and generally being outside was (and still often is) better than the confinement of home. Previously, we could also get some minutes of peace by having him bounce in his Babybjörn chair and playing with a toy arc attached to that chair.
Among the many many calm babies, there was one other energizer bunny, his soulmate and partner in crime to crawl off with or over each other and try to eat pebbles with. It was nice to not be the only ones anymore. This is to say, yes, it's exceptional, but you are not alone and all is well.
posted by meijusa at 1:33 AM on September 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
We had no luck with the door-frame bouncer for a super active baby who liked movement, so borrow instead of buying to see if it works. Rocking horses and trampolines are fun if they can sit upright or balance holding on to something, but you must monitor them closely at that age. We had good times with a big plastic bowl (like 1m in diameter) that we filled with rice, water, toys, balls or whatever and put her inside to play madly with. Spread a plastic table cloth under for easier clean-up. If it wasn't water, you could grab a seat nearby and read a book while she played without having to pay that close attention.
It is totally okay for her not to like following group routines or to see books as exciting things to eat/explore. Some babies are super mellow and cautious, and some babies are tiny typhoons of destruction, natural variation!
Our biggest lesson was to wear her out with walks and activity early in the day so she was more mellow later on. If she's super active and you have a pool or park, a daily trip there to wear her out will save you time and energy for the rest of the day with quieter activities.
Try playgroup or mums+coffee type meetings where the babies are not expected to follow a routine, just to play around each other in the park or someone's living room.
posted by viggorlijah at 1:34 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
It is totally okay for her not to like following group routines or to see books as exciting things to eat/explore. Some babies are super mellow and cautious, and some babies are tiny typhoons of destruction, natural variation!
Our biggest lesson was to wear her out with walks and activity early in the day so she was more mellow later on. If she's super active and you have a pool or park, a daily trip there to wear her out will save you time and energy for the rest of the day with quieter activities.
Try playgroup or mums+coffee type meetings where the babies are not expected to follow a routine, just to play around each other in the park or someone's living room.
posted by viggorlijah at 1:34 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ah, I should have mentioned that the door-bouncer was an early purchase! It's very hit-and-miss - squeals of joy on some days and whining on others (she is happier if she is chewing something while bouncing).
Thanks so much for the suggestions so far, it's good to hear she's not the only one (and I'm so relieved that book-chewing is okay!). Just wanted to add while I'm here that I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining - she really is terrific fun :-)
posted by raspberry-ripple at 2:37 AM on September 26, 2014
Thanks so much for the suggestions so far, it's good to hear she's not the only one (and I'm so relieved that book-chewing is okay!). Just wanted to add while I'm here that I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining - she really is terrific fun :-)
posted by raspberry-ripple at 2:37 AM on September 26, 2014
Best answer: I had been told that it's a wonderful stage, when babies can sit up but can't yet crawl. So happy! So cute! So easy to take care of! HA! Not my son (now 9 months). The day he learned to crawl marked the first substantial decrease in difficulty in caring for him, and a HUGE increase in his happiness. You are totally not alone. My little guy has been wanting to move since way before he was born - he kicked virtually nonstop in utero, and since the moment he was born he has been wiggling around. Keeping him happy got SOOOOOOO much easier when he started crawling. It suddenly ceased to be my job to entertain him and move him around constantly - I just provide him with safe environments and he explores. It's awesome. I hope that very very soon, your baby will be demonstrating the ways in which this active personality can make things EASIER for you, not harder.
Let's see, here are some things that helped, before he was mobile.
-Finding brand new spaces where he could sit down and play with novel objects. The library has a baby room; that really helped. Also if you can make any friends at the playground and then try out sitting on THEIR living room floors, that's pretty great.
-TONS of walks in the baby carrier. Like your baby, it was one of the few ways my son would chill out. We specifically bought the Beco Gemini because it's comfortable AND has a front-facing position that doesn't kill my back. He loves front-facing!!
-Try unusual spots in your house. My son had done all the staring around the living room he cared to do, but he would be much happier if I set him down next to a kitchen cabinet, or under the bed, or in some kind of unusual spot. New perspectives!
-Get out all the interesting objects from your kitchen and give them to him in a big bowl. Whisk, wooden spoon, salad spinner, whatever you have.
-Do you have access to a piano? We have an electric keyboard and my son loved to bang on it.
-Singing songs, silly games where you move the baby's limbs around, goofy stuff like popping out from behind a chair, peekaboo, sneaking up and surprising (my son loves being scared apparently!), etc. This is all high-energy and I totally realize you can't do it all day long, you'd go insane. This is why a) brand new objects to examine and b) long walks are key. And c) realizing that soon things will change.
Also, yes, book-chewing is totally normal. My son actually adores reading and almost all of our books have LITERAL bites on the binding where he has chomped away bits of paper. I actually bought him some Indestructibles books, which are washable, chew-proof, waterproof books. He loves them. We also have 4 or 5 books with various "activities" to do on each page - Pat the Bunny and such. Big hits.
At around 6 months he was the least interested in reading of any age so far; mostly just squirming out of my lap even though he'd been fascinated as a 4-month-old. Now at 9 months, he actually selects a book, brings it over to me and then sits calmly on my lap while I read it to him, which is AWESOME. So don't worry, this doesn't say anything about your baby's eventual reading habits. My son and probably your baby too, are just intensely focused on wanting to MOVE and can't think about much else for a while.
I think you're in for a treat when your baby becomes mobile! When that happens, BABYPROOF YOUR HOUSE. Before my son was mobile, I thought this was for him, to keep him safe. It is, but that's not really the point. You'll supervise him constantly and I'm sure you'll keep him safe. Babyproofing is for you. If you have a totally babyproof space, you can let your baby loose to explore and touch anything and everything, and you don't have to rush over and take things away, redirect, or say "no". The baby can roam around free. It's really great.
Also, take your baby to a playground if you can. We started taking my son at 6.5 months when he started crawling and there were definitely no other babies of his age there, but we quickly made some local friends from running into other parents with similarly aged babies, and how we all go to the playground! My son learned to climb stairs and go down the slide on his belly at 7 months, and he ADORES the playground. It's also a safe space where he can crawl anywhere he wants, and I don't have to try to do something interesting enough to keep him from wandering away. Highly recommended.
posted by Cygnet at 3:15 AM on September 26, 2014 [4 favorites]
Let's see, here are some things that helped, before he was mobile.
-Finding brand new spaces where he could sit down and play with novel objects. The library has a baby room; that really helped. Also if you can make any friends at the playground and then try out sitting on THEIR living room floors, that's pretty great.
-TONS of walks in the baby carrier. Like your baby, it was one of the few ways my son would chill out. We specifically bought the Beco Gemini because it's comfortable AND has a front-facing position that doesn't kill my back. He loves front-facing!!
-Try unusual spots in your house. My son had done all the staring around the living room he cared to do, but he would be much happier if I set him down next to a kitchen cabinet, or under the bed, or in some kind of unusual spot. New perspectives!
-Get out all the interesting objects from your kitchen and give them to him in a big bowl. Whisk, wooden spoon, salad spinner, whatever you have.
-Do you have access to a piano? We have an electric keyboard and my son loved to bang on it.
-Singing songs, silly games where you move the baby's limbs around, goofy stuff like popping out from behind a chair, peekaboo, sneaking up and surprising (my son loves being scared apparently!), etc. This is all high-energy and I totally realize you can't do it all day long, you'd go insane. This is why a) brand new objects to examine and b) long walks are key. And c) realizing that soon things will change.
Also, yes, book-chewing is totally normal. My son actually adores reading and almost all of our books have LITERAL bites on the binding where he has chomped away bits of paper. I actually bought him some Indestructibles books, which are washable, chew-proof, waterproof books. He loves them. We also have 4 or 5 books with various "activities" to do on each page - Pat the Bunny and such. Big hits.
At around 6 months he was the least interested in reading of any age so far; mostly just squirming out of my lap even though he'd been fascinated as a 4-month-old. Now at 9 months, he actually selects a book, brings it over to me and then sits calmly on my lap while I read it to him, which is AWESOME. So don't worry, this doesn't say anything about your baby's eventual reading habits. My son and probably your baby too, are just intensely focused on wanting to MOVE and can't think about much else for a while.
I think you're in for a treat when your baby becomes mobile! When that happens, BABYPROOF YOUR HOUSE. Before my son was mobile, I thought this was for him, to keep him safe. It is, but that's not really the point. You'll supervise him constantly and I'm sure you'll keep him safe. Babyproofing is for you. If you have a totally babyproof space, you can let your baby loose to explore and touch anything and everything, and you don't have to rush over and take things away, redirect, or say "no". The baby can roam around free. It's really great.
Also, take your baby to a playground if you can. We started taking my son at 6.5 months when he started crawling and there were definitely no other babies of his age there, but we quickly made some local friends from running into other parents with similarly aged babies, and how we all go to the playground! My son learned to climb stairs and go down the slide on his belly at 7 months, and he ADORES the playground. It's also a safe space where he can crawl anywhere he wants, and I don't have to try to do something interesting enough to keep him from wandering away. Highly recommended.
posted by Cygnet at 3:15 AM on September 26, 2014 [4 favorites]
Actually, not to give you false hope, I should say that when my son brings me a book and then "sits calmly while I read it to him", what I really mean is that he sits and turns the pages constantly while I read him random pages. He's very engaged in the book - just now starting to recognize objects in pictures, yay! - but he doesn't just passively sit. Page-turning is his all-time favorite activity. The first phrase I knew he understood was "turn the page"!
posted by Cygnet at 3:22 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Cygnet at 3:22 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Um, Uncle Dave and step-dad here.
In the kitchen my two year old neice dumped out a box of Corn Flakes on the kitchen floor and ran around in circles with her arms out like a lttle airplane saying "I'm so happy".
She was happy.
My very shy nephew Zach invented a game where he would stand across the room, turn and smile, and then take a run at me and when he got close he would take a dive, knowing I would catch him.
What I am trying to say here is I'm available for babysiting.
posted by vapidave at 3:29 AM on September 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
In the kitchen my two year old neice dumped out a box of Corn Flakes on the kitchen floor and ran around in circles with her arms out like a lttle airplane saying "I'm so happy".
She was happy.
My very shy nephew Zach invented a game where he would stand across the room, turn and smile, and then take a run at me and when he got close he would take a dive, knowing I would catch him.
What I am trying to say here is I'm available for babysiting.
posted by vapidave at 3:29 AM on September 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
Best answer: This sounds exactly like my son (now almost two years old). It's totally normal, even though at the time we worried that our baby was a bit of a weirdo too. :) For us the most blessed day of all was when he finally learned to crawl and could explore a bit on his own. He was an early walker, too, and that was another wonderful time. We found that the more he could do himself, the happier he always was.
We realised that for him it was really more about stimulation than movement per se. This meant two things, which you may also find are true for yours:
1. Taking him to new places (i.e., anywhere other than the home) always worked a treat. Someone above suggested playgrounds: that is great. I also recommend swimming pools, wandering around malls, shopping, little kids petting zoos, basically anywhere with lots to look at. Often he was by far the youngest kid there but he was so much happier that way. Bonus if it's safe so she can prop herself up and struggle to get around (or, once she's crawling, so she can do that). Even now we go out probably at least twice a day. All of those things made ours 200% happier and therefore massively increased my sanity.
2. If your daughter is like our son, and it's about stimulation as much as or more than movement, you'll find that once she's into her second year this should attenuate somewhat. Now that he's almost two our son is actually on the "calmer" end of things because he's fascinated by more sedate things -- language, numbers, songs, social interactions. All of which is to say: this might pass! And be wary of assigning her too young into one role (not that I'm saying you're doing that -- just, it's easy to do, but with such little ones they are incredibly variable and you never really know what's at the root of their behaviours).
Good luck! I can tell you adore your active little one. Definitely taking our son out all the time made a massive difference to us, and I think was good for him too since now he is super comfortable almost anywhere.
posted by forza at 3:30 AM on September 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
We realised that for him it was really more about stimulation than movement per se. This meant two things, which you may also find are true for yours:
1. Taking him to new places (i.e., anywhere other than the home) always worked a treat. Someone above suggested playgrounds: that is great. I also recommend swimming pools, wandering around malls, shopping, little kids petting zoos, basically anywhere with lots to look at. Often he was by far the youngest kid there but he was so much happier that way. Bonus if it's safe so she can prop herself up and struggle to get around (or, once she's crawling, so she can do that). Even now we go out probably at least twice a day. All of those things made ours 200% happier and therefore massively increased my sanity.
2. If your daughter is like our son, and it's about stimulation as much as or more than movement, you'll find that once she's into her second year this should attenuate somewhat. Now that he's almost two our son is actually on the "calmer" end of things because he's fascinated by more sedate things -- language, numbers, songs, social interactions. All of which is to say: this might pass! And be wary of assigning her too young into one role (not that I'm saying you're doing that -- just, it's easy to do, but with such little ones they are incredibly variable and you never really know what's at the root of their behaviours).
Good luck! I can tell you adore your active little one. Definitely taking our son out all the time made a massive difference to us, and I think was good for him too since now he is super comfortable almost anywhere.
posted by forza at 3:30 AM on September 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
forza is completely correct. Right now our son is either with us or with grandparents, and regardless of who is caring for him, we're out and about many times a day. We take him to playgrounds as part of our routine early every morning and every evening before bed. And in between we go to all kinds of places - museums, coffee shops, any kind of outdoor festival we can think of, new parks... We're probably out of the house for 5 hours a day. It's so much easier than trying to think of enough "stimulating activity" at home!
posted by Cygnet at 3:44 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Cygnet at 3:44 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Oh, forgot, we just fixed another book with silver tape this morning, because the little guy had chewed off the entire spine. Lots of book reading metaphors are about eating. Devouring a book, digesting, savoring, etc. These days I can see where that comes from.
posted by meijusa at 4:27 AM on September 26, 2014
posted by meijusa at 4:27 AM on September 26, 2014
I don't like door jumpers. I don't think that they are good for delicate brain tissue or for the development of useful motor skills. Also, if your baby is already a bit wild, encouraging that level of excitement does not seem to be a good idea. Back when I taught daycare, I could tell the difference between the babies who used jumpers and the ones who didn't.
All babies that age are busy. You don't see that in a group setting because some of the other babies are a bit shy out of their environment. Your daughter likes variety, which will serve her well. It will be important to rotate toys. Dedicate a closet for her things and take out a different toy every day. Go for things with bright colors that make noise when touched. Toys with flashing lights and moving parts are great. You want to engage your baby, which you are already doing, but also let her have small bits of time on her own, with you in the room, so that she can learn how to entertain herself. Put her on the floor with 2 really fun toys and sit on the couch with a book for yourself. Children who grow up in homes where at least one parent is an avid reader tend to grow up to be avid readers themselves. Once she is old enough, she will model your behavior and read her own books.
I used a lot of variety with my kids. Sometimes they had a laundry basket to play with, to put all their toys in and then take out again. Some days, I would put them in a big box with a crayon. I would take soft, squeaky toys and lay them under blankets for a fun surprise. Use what you have. :)
posted by myselfasme at 4:34 AM on September 26, 2014
All babies that age are busy. You don't see that in a group setting because some of the other babies are a bit shy out of their environment. Your daughter likes variety, which will serve her well. It will be important to rotate toys. Dedicate a closet for her things and take out a different toy every day. Go for things with bright colors that make noise when touched. Toys with flashing lights and moving parts are great. You want to engage your baby, which you are already doing, but also let her have small bits of time on her own, with you in the room, so that she can learn how to entertain herself. Put her on the floor with 2 really fun toys and sit on the couch with a book for yourself. Children who grow up in homes where at least one parent is an avid reader tend to grow up to be avid readers themselves. Once she is old enough, she will model your behavior and read her own books.
I used a lot of variety with my kids. Sometimes they had a laundry basket to play with, to put all their toys in and then take out again. Some days, I would put them in a big box with a crayon. I would take soft, squeaky toys and lay them under blankets for a fun surprise. Use what you have. :)
posted by myselfasme at 4:34 AM on September 26, 2014
Put on some music and dance with her. You can either hold her while you dance, or sit next to her while you dance, or hold her hands and let her dance upright. Try different kinds of music, slow and fast, soft and loud. If you're both sitting add some percussion: a wooden spoon and a pot are great for this. Or get her some maracas and bells.
posted by mareli at 4:56 AM on September 26, 2014
posted by mareli at 4:56 AM on September 26, 2014
Exersaucer. My very-physically-active, variety-seeking baby loooooved being in the exersaucer, because he could "stand up" and bounce and wave all four limbs at once, and there were plenty of things to grab and chew, but mostly because he felt like part of the action when he could "stand up." His favorite thing was when grandma would take the exersaucer into the kitchen while she was cooking so he could shriek and chatter and bounce while watching her. It was the only way I could get work done around the house, letting him bounce while I folded laundry. He also particularly liked if I put a small handful of cheerios on the exersaucer "table" part that he could chase around and munch on.
(At 7 months, find a used one, you won't be using it long!)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:11 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
(At 7 months, find a used one, you won't be using it long!)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:11 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
We also have a very active kiddo, who has been like that since he could move at all. Everyone has great suggestions for stuff to do (I also recommend building block towers for her to knock over, fwiw), but I have a suggestion for books: Sandra Boynton. The thing about Sandra Boynton is that you can basically sing or chant almost all of her books. When we started reading those, when he was very small, we would read them very energetically, bobbing our heads or dancing and chanting and smiling, and he'd get into it. He was never a Goodnight Moon sort of kid when he was that small (though now at 3 he likes stories enough that he'll get pulled in to books when we're reading, which is so fun).
Some of our favorite Boyntons have been: Fifteen Animals, Barnyard Dance, Belly Button Book, Pajama Time (BIG favorite when he was tiny), Hippos Go Berserk, and The Going to Bed Book. There's also music to go along with some of these books, and I recommend Snuggle Puppy if you end up picking up the Philadelphia Chickens album. That one is sweet and fun to sing.
Not every single one of her books is super rhythmic, so if you're picking one blindly, just flip through it beforehand to see.
posted by hought20 at 5:21 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Some of our favorite Boyntons have been: Fifteen Animals, Barnyard Dance, Belly Button Book, Pajama Time (BIG favorite when he was tiny), Hippos Go Berserk, and The Going to Bed Book. There's also music to go along with some of these books, and I recommend Snuggle Puppy if you end up picking up the Philadelphia Chickens album. That one is sweet and fun to sing.
Not every single one of her books is super rhythmic, so if you're picking one blindly, just flip through it beforehand to see.
posted by hought20 at 5:21 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Oh, also! You end up memorizing the Boynton really quickly, so when the baby is all nom nom nom book, you can keep right on going without having to look at it.
posted by hought20 at 5:22 AM on September 26, 2014
posted by hought20 at 5:22 AM on September 26, 2014
Best answer: Dad of a "busy" kid here.
Is your baby "normal?" No! She's exceptional! She's ambitious! You're going to be tired a lot, but she's going to be awesome. Just roll with it.
It's a challenge to be the parent of an engaged kid who is always "on."Fleebnork Jr. was always very alert and seeking stimulus. His pediatrician even commented on it at his first infant appointment.
My wife and I called the other passive infants "slug babies." All they did was lie around and stare into space. Our kid wanted to DO ALL THE THINGS!
Don't fret about the books. My son is rapidly approaching 3 and loves books. He still doesn't sit down for very long, so we mostly read books at bedtime when he's winding down.
Active, engaged kids tend to be smart. My son's teachers at daycare tell us that he finishes his lessons more quickly than the other kids, so they often give him some extra stuff to learn or let him help out around the classroom. He just needs extra stuff to do.
Also, seconding the Exersaucer recommendation. Grandma got us one and Jr. loved it.
posted by Fleebnork at 5:24 AM on September 26, 2014 [6 favorites]
Is your baby "normal?" No! She's exceptional! She's ambitious! You're going to be tired a lot, but she's going to be awesome. Just roll with it.
It's a challenge to be the parent of an engaged kid who is always "on."Fleebnork Jr. was always very alert and seeking stimulus. His pediatrician even commented on it at his first infant appointment.
My wife and I called the other passive infants "slug babies." All they did was lie around and stare into space. Our kid wanted to DO ALL THE THINGS!
Don't fret about the books. My son is rapidly approaching 3 and loves books. He still doesn't sit down for very long, so we mostly read books at bedtime when he's winding down.
Active, engaged kids tend to be smart. My son's teachers at daycare tell us that he finishes his lessons more quickly than the other kids, so they often give him some extra stuff to learn or let him help out around the classroom. He just needs extra stuff to do.
Also, seconding the Exersaucer recommendation. Grandma got us one and Jr. loved it.
posted by Fleebnork at 5:24 AM on September 26, 2014 [6 favorites]
Exersaucer (we have a very compact one with just a few toys on it and we bring it in the kitchen, take it outside, et cetera.) Letting her watch you do daily life type things is great. Or use the door jumper for this. Let her watch you cook, and put on some music and dance and sing while you do it.
There's no law that says you have to be still while you read a book! Give her a toy she can play with while you read to her; try laying on your backs together and holding the book above her; read to her from across the room while she wiggles, et cetera.
Sitting still and paying attention is not a useful skill for this age group. Scatter some toys on the floor just outside of her reach. Encourage her to reach for them, make her have to scoot one millimeter to get them, then a foot.
She'll be mobile 'afore you know it.
And yes, one day she'll even sit still for a story. Probably.
posted by telepanda at 7:45 AM on September 26, 2014
There's no law that says you have to be still while you read a book! Give her a toy she can play with while you read to her; try laying on your backs together and holding the book above her; read to her from across the room while she wiggles, et cetera.
Sitting still and paying attention is not a useful skill for this age group. Scatter some toys on the floor just outside of her reach. Encourage her to reach for them, make her have to scoot one millimeter to get them, then a foot.
She'll be mobile 'afore you know it.
And yes, one day she'll even sit still for a story. Probably.
posted by telepanda at 7:45 AM on September 26, 2014
I just wanted to add that my very active baby is generally ENERGETIC, not frantic or wild. He's often quite calm in fact, just not still. However, when he gets overwhelmed, he does tend to get a bit frantic, flitting from thing to thing and looking mildly concerned. If this happens, I put him in a carrier and wear him around while doing quiet chores or singing softly and he's usually just fine after 10 minutes of that.
posted by Cygnet at 8:05 AM on September 26, 2014
posted by Cygnet at 8:05 AM on September 26, 2014
We also have a "do all the things" baby. It has indeed gotten better once she started to crawl, and the constant stimulation of day care or (before that) mother's morning out helped so much too. We go on frequent walks, and to new places with lots of stimulation. She loves things like the flea market, or farmer's markets. Any toys that she can put into a container and dump out of the container are great. She's also got stations set up in different areas/rooms where we can move her from one to another where there are different toys to play with in each room.
I had the same frustration about books, and was really sad when I heard about people reading to their babies and I couldn't. At 7.5 months she's just now gotten to where I can read 1-2 board books right before she goes to sleep, and she'll just try to gnaw on one page or so.
posted by bizzyb at 9:10 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
I had the same frustration about books, and was really sad when I heard about people reading to their babies and I couldn't. At 7.5 months she's just now gotten to where I can read 1-2 board books right before she goes to sleep, and she'll just try to gnaw on one page or so.
posted by bizzyb at 9:10 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Yes, an exersaucer like Eyebrows McGee says. (We sold ours for $40 on Craigslist and there are always some for sale there in our small community) We also have a jumperoo that free-stands and allows the kid to jump and turn in circles looking at the other stuff in it. But that only fascinated for 5 minutes, tops, if he saw parents with empty arms that could be carrying him instead!
Our baby was never so grumpy as when his friends were crawling and he hadn't figured it out yet. He could pull things to him, but not figure out how to get to things out of arm's reach. But once he figured out how to crawl, he was so much happier! He still wants to be carried everywhere (and he's a new walker!), but he is much happier now that he can move himself places.
posted by jillithd at 9:15 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Our baby was never so grumpy as when his friends were crawling and he hadn't figured it out yet. He could pull things to him, but not figure out how to get to things out of arm's reach. But once he figured out how to crawl, he was so much happier! He still wants to be carried everywhere (and he's a new walker!), but he is much happier now that he can move himself places.
posted by jillithd at 9:15 AM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Oh boy, my nephew was like this. He didn't want to do any single thing for more than 5-10 minutes and needed lots of stimulation. That's just who he was as a baby. I took him on a lot of walks in a carrier and put him in a lot of activity devices, but caring for him was absolutely exhausting. It got better once he could crawl and walk, but before then it was a constant cycle of stimulating him with new activities.
His sister was the opposite. Calm, self-entertaining, far more independent, etc. You could leave her to do things on her own for long periods and it was much easier to care for her.
posted by quince at 9:58 AM on September 26, 2014
His sister was the opposite. Calm, self-entertaining, far more independent, etc. You could leave her to do things on her own for long periods and it was much easier to care for her.
posted by quince at 9:58 AM on September 26, 2014
> My wife and I called the other passive infants "slug babies."
I did the same thing! My son was walking at eight months and moving moving moving always moving. Don't fret about books. It'll all happen.
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:59 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
I did the same thing! My son was walking at eight months and moving moving moving always moving. Don't fret about books. It'll all happen.
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:59 AM on September 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Does anyone play musical instruments? Our kid was active at that age but liked to sit for guitar, or would happily pound on a tamborine or shake little music shakers for awhile.
Books are all about using lots of vocabulary and exposing them to words. One of the few reliable books that worked at that age was barnyard dance (complete with acting out everything while reading) and very short open the flap books (where is baby's belly button?). My kid wouldn't sit still until about a year for books but now forces me to read 5 or 6 at bedtime, so don't despair, just keep on trying!
posted by typecloud at 12:05 PM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Books are all about using lots of vocabulary and exposing them to words. One of the few reliable books that worked at that age was barnyard dance (complete with acting out everything while reading) and very short open the flap books (where is baby's belly button?). My kid wouldn't sit still until about a year for books but now forces me to read 5 or 6 at bedtime, so don't despair, just keep on trying!
posted by typecloud at 12:05 PM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Big Rubbermaid container full of rice, plus some measuring cups and small toys.
Jumperoo. (Like a combination of a door bouncer and exersaucer)
Trips to the free zoo (Pet Store)
Baby swings at the playground
Classes like Kindermusik (The greatest!) or baby gymnastics or baby swimming. Many of these will be offered at your local Y.
Finger paints.
posted by Ostara at 1:06 PM on September 26, 2014
Jumperoo. (Like a combination of a door bouncer and exersaucer)
Trips to the free zoo (Pet Store)
Baby swings at the playground
Classes like Kindermusik (The greatest!) or baby gymnastics or baby swimming. Many of these will be offered at your local Y.
Finger paints.
posted by Ostara at 1:06 PM on September 26, 2014
My mother told me once that whenever I was driving her crazy with my hyperactivity and she needed a few minutes' peace she would just cover my hands with nontoxic Elmer's glue and I would be mesmerized until I was done peeling off all the dried glue from my hands.
Caveat: this may have warped my brain a bit -- as an adult, I still feel compelled to and get inordinate pleasure from peeling things (beer bottle labels, other people's sunburns, wallpaper, etc.).
posted by Jacqueline at 5:49 PM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Caveat: this may have warped my brain a bit -- as an adult, I still feel compelled to and get inordinate pleasure from peeling things (beer bottle labels, other people's sunburns, wallpaper, etc.).
posted by Jacqueline at 5:49 PM on September 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Music - for dancing, singing, for playing drums(wooden bowls and spoons) to, also, mellower music for chilling out a little. Youtube is awesome for this.
Store the toys and bring out different selections so they aren't as boring.
posted by theora55 at 10:50 PM on September 26, 2014
Store the toys and bring out different selections so they aren't as boring.
posted by theora55 at 10:50 PM on September 26, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks so much for all your thoughts on managing a "do all the things" baby! There are some great suggestions here. She does enjoy a bit of a dance (I've heard this helps develop their spatial awareness too) and seems to really like music - I haven't played my guitar for her for a while so I might give that another go. We do get out and about a lot and that does seem to keep her entertained nicely, and moving around from room to room seems to help too.
I do think it's about stimulation more than movement because she'll be quite still if she has enough different things to look at (she likes looking out the window on the bus, for example) - this may be why she isn't crazy about the door bouncer.
Cygnet - very interesting about your son being least interested in reading at 6 months because ours too used to be more interested in books than she is now. It would make sense for them to be too preoccupied with moving to focus on much else at this age. She loves being scared too! I do hope she'll be less frustrated when she's more mobile.
I do worry about the possibility of overtiredness because her naps are very short (40 minutes is a good one) and have been since she was about three months old. I can't seem to do anything to lengthen them - well, sleep training might work, but that's not a road I want to go down. She does a good 12 hours overnight though (she's still waking to feed, but she drops straight off again afterwards) - I've always thought her short naps were partly to do with her not wanting to miss anything exciting during the day.
It's a good point about not labelling her at this age too. I was apparently very lively at the same age too, which I find very hard to believe given how sedentary I am now!
I'm on maternity leave til January so I really want to make the most of the rest of our time together. I'll bear all your suggestions in mind! Thanks so much!
posted by raspberry-ripple at 11:54 AM on September 27, 2014
I do think it's about stimulation more than movement because she'll be quite still if she has enough different things to look at (she likes looking out the window on the bus, for example) - this may be why she isn't crazy about the door bouncer.
Cygnet - very interesting about your son being least interested in reading at 6 months because ours too used to be more interested in books than she is now. It would make sense for them to be too preoccupied with moving to focus on much else at this age. She loves being scared too! I do hope she'll be less frustrated when she's more mobile.
I do worry about the possibility of overtiredness because her naps are very short (40 minutes is a good one) and have been since she was about three months old. I can't seem to do anything to lengthen them - well, sleep training might work, but that's not a road I want to go down. She does a good 12 hours overnight though (she's still waking to feed, but she drops straight off again afterwards) - I've always thought her short naps were partly to do with her not wanting to miss anything exciting during the day.
It's a good point about not labelling her at this age too. I was apparently very lively at the same age too, which I find very hard to believe given how sedentary I am now!
I'm on maternity leave til January so I really want to make the most of the rest of our time together. I'll bear all your suggestions in mind! Thanks so much!
posted by raspberry-ripple at 11:54 AM on September 27, 2014
Babies chewing on books is so popular that you can get a book called Books Are For Reading, Not Eating! that tells babies how not to eat books ... that comes with chewing-on places on the corners because they will anyway. (But yeah, "teething books" is an actual category of books with fun things to chew on.)
You might also like the "Indestructibles" books (example), which are waterproof, tear-resistant, and safe to suck/chew/nom on. They mostly don't have words, just pictures, but my kids really liked them and they survived the playing-reading-eating of my highly-active older son and calmer younger son. They are great for babies who are a bit wild to "play" at reading with, flinging them around and turning pages and shouting animal noises and chewing on them and throwing them on the ground. It's a book they can use as hard as they want to, which is important for babies learning to love books. :)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:03 PM on September 27, 2014
You might also like the "Indestructibles" books (example), which are waterproof, tear-resistant, and safe to suck/chew/nom on. They mostly don't have words, just pictures, but my kids really liked them and they survived the playing-reading-eating of my highly-active older son and calmer younger son. They are great for babies who are a bit wild to "play" at reading with, flinging them around and turning pages and shouting animal noises and chewing on them and throwing them on the ground. It's a book they can use as hard as they want to, which is important for babies learning to love books. :)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:03 PM on September 27, 2014
Best answer: LAST COMMENT, I swear -- babies' mouths are far and away more sensitive than their hands when they are born, with far more tactile nerves per square millimeter, and hands don't catch up until they're around 2, and mouths remain tactile-y very interesting until they're about 5 and hands are finally so well ahead of mouths (and better at grabbing on to things) that kids finally slow down on mouthing everything.
Your baby will stick EVERYTHING SHE LOVES in her mouth because her mouth is WAY BETTER at giving her information about it than her hands. When she chews on a book, she is telling the book, "I am interested in you, book. You seem cool. I want to know more about you. I must chew you to find out if you are as interesting as you seem."
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:10 PM on September 27, 2014 [4 favorites]
Your baby will stick EVERYTHING SHE LOVES in her mouth because her mouth is WAY BETTER at giving her information about it than her hands. When she chews on a book, she is telling the book, "I am interested in you, book. You seem cool. I want to know more about you. I must chew you to find out if you are as interesting as you seem."
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:10 PM on September 27, 2014 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Just coming back to thank Cygnet and Eyebrows McGee for the suggestion of Indestructibles books. I got her two: she is delighted to have something papery to chew, I am delighted to have books I can leave on the bathroom floor and not worry about. What a great idea! She's also been having a lot of fun "playing" my guitar - thank you, typecloud! - and is absolutely fascinated by rice - thank you Ostara for that.
Oh, and she has just started to really enjoy lifting the flaps in lift-the-flap books!! So proud. :-)
posted by raspberry-ripple at 1:08 PM on October 9, 2014
Oh, and she has just started to really enjoy lifting the flaps in lift-the-flap books!! So proud. :-)
posted by raspberry-ripple at 1:08 PM on October 9, 2014
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Maybe with the singing turn her so she's facing you? Let her touch your face while you sing? Most babies don't stay still for songs unless they're action oriented ones.
Have you tried a lot of tactile toys? They can be a bit more accessible for the can't-wait-to-be-mobile babies.
(ex-children's librarian, I've run bunches of baby singing and reading programs, all of that sounds super normal)
posted by geek anachronism at 12:20 AM on September 26, 2014 [7 favorites]