WTF am I suppose to do all day?

[surfmama106]

Paging all SAHMs or, like me, maternity leave moms. DS (14 days new) is super easy, sleeps ,eats, poops etc. and DD is in desperate need of some sort of routine of things to do during the day. Otherwise we are watching Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse clubhouse. I mean she has a ton of toys but I feel like when she sees me on the couch she just doesn't want to play. And then I have a zombie baby on my hands.

I'm home until basically May. Here is our mini routine so far.

Wake up: 8:30/9
Breakfast
Play
Snack
Nap: 11:30/12-1:30/2
Lunch
Play
Snack
Play
Dinner: 5:30
Play
Bath/Bed: 7

*sometimes I can get 45 min "nap"/crib time somewhere between 4 and 5.

Anyone with any ideas on what I can do with my day so I don't rely on the TV? Granted DS is still very new but I'm not super opposed to taking him out and about.

[mamanorris]

Pintrest is my go to when I need new ideas to keep them busy. Maybe make a rice bin? Ours is 3 years old and DS1 still loves it. Sometimes I also let them play in water, wither in a baby bath tub or at the sink. Keeps them busy for hours.

[mamanorris]

Also the mall, SAHMs best friend. If you have one with a soft playground go walk around the mall, let L play and then hopefully they nap.

[Leapinglizards]

Library is always our go to
-bowl of flour if you have linoleum and can let her paint on the floor
-put on kids tunes and sing with her
-blanket fort
-painting
-I will ask her to cook me different items in the kitchen
-coins let her sort big to small or slide down dogs back lol
-reading
-tissue paper or wrapping paper let her tear away

[isolemnlyswear]

The million dollar question

We have been doing a lot of imaginative play lately. So lots of cooking in her kitchen and me eating the things she brings me.

Puzzles
Blocks
Library toddler time (Monday & Wednesday)
Play group Thursday morning

[emilillies]

Could you put a chair in the playroom? Would that help DD to feel more comfortable playing?

[soon2bmrsn]

Jan 28, 2016 18:56:28 GMT -5 emilillies said:

Could you put a chair in the playroom? Would that help DD to feel more comfortable playing?

This! I had a fairly easy time nursing DD while keeping the boys entertained now that we live in a house with a playroom that has plenty of seating. Even now, we all spend most of our at home time in the playroom.

[surfmama106]

Oh she loves the playroom and she has her own seat and a shit ton of toys, kitchen, baby dolls, big chair, table & chairs a great variety of little people... Maybe bc I'm still transitioning to 2 kids and nursing another, but I can't get on the floor with her as much and really play, she'll see me sitting on the couch and she'll grab her PB chair by the top handle and drag it in front of the TV saying "sessie sessie" (her language for Sesame Street) and I'll tell her no and try and distract her but eventually I wind up caving in.

I am going to look on Pinterest for indoor toddler activities to pass the time and keep her busy without having her glued to the TV.

The mornings I'm fine with, it's 2-5 with potentially no nap that is killing me.

[emilillies]

surfmama106 I was the thinking of a chair in the playroom for you to sit in would help.

[soon2bmrsn]

I've seen ideas for "nursing baskets" on Pinterest. Basically books and toys that only come out when it's time for you to feed baby. May be worth a look for some ideas?

fwiw, it's okay if she watches more tv than she used to. Pretty much everyone I know admits that when LO #2 comes along, LO #1 starts watching more tv. It's not necessarily a bad thing, and the days of constant newborn nursing are temporary. You're doing great!

[jnnfrrose6]

Jan 28, 2016 22:36:21 GMT -5 surfmama106 said:

Oh she loves the playroom and she has her own seat and a shit ton of toys, kitchen, baby dolls, big chair, table & chairs a great variety of little people... Maybe bc I'm still transitioning to 2 kids and nursing another, but I can't get on the floor with her as much and really play, she'll see me sitting on the couch and she'll grab her PB chair by the top handle and drag it in front of the TV saying "sessie sessie" (her language for Sesame Street) and I'll tell her no and try and distract her but eventually I wind up caving in.

I am going to look on Pinterest for indoor toddler activities to pass the time and keep her busy without having her glued to the TV.

The mornings I'm fine with, it's 2-5 with potentially no nap that is killing me.

Could you swap lunch and nap time so she's napping in the 1-4 range?  If you're already doing well in the mornings, then lead that right into lunch and then go down for nap giving you less time to have to fill after nap before dinner and evening time?

[hurricanerek]

I think transitioning L to an after lunch nap would make a huge difference for your afternoons.

We go out almost every day because both of us feel too cooped up otherwise. We go to the library, Barnes and Noble, the children's museum, the McDonald's play place, the mall, and on playdates

[asunasword]

DS is a monster if he doesn't get outside. Even if it is just a 10 minute walk. We usually don't end up going far, like a couple of blocks but there is lots to grab his attention. It wears him out both mentally and physically. His big thing right now is pine cones.
Not sure what your weather is like right now, but might be worth a shot...

[liziz]

Not SAH, but we try to get out of the house as much as we can on the weekends. Walks (weather permitting), stores, playdates, library, zoo/aquarium, etc. Just to keep things exciting. For us, the morning is longer, so we try to do something to push her nap a little later in the day, like we went to the zoo at 10 last weekend.
When she was a baby, we did a music class once a week, and that gave us some good structure. I'm sure there are music classes near you for L, and they wouldn't mind having a baby in arms there.

[lea]

I agree with trying to push nap back to after lunch. We usually do all errands or outings in the AM and then afternoon is nap time. And mine usually wakes for the day between 5-6:30 am so I'm totally jealous of the 8:30/9 wake up time. Sometimes lunch is as early as 11 for us and then he naps but on MWF we have to pick DS1 up at 12:30 so I'll often feed him and then put him down for nap when we get home.

We don't have a lot of indoor toddler friendly places besides the mall play area so usually we just go to stores or the library.

[Liv]

Shoot for one "extracurricular" activity outside the house per day. Believe me, it gets more complicated to get the kids out and about by yourself once little boy is no longer able to fall asleep anywhere, anytime. Juggling 2 nap schedules is rough (esp if your toddler is still taking 2 naps a day!).

My go tos are:
Playground
Target (for me)
Petco/petsmart- she loves seeing the animals and it's way more manageable than the zoo
Library baby story times
Chores (having her help me wash floors, Windows, pick up toys, etc)