What to do with them all day?

jglandon@hotmail.com · February 2013

What do you do with your babies all day? I have already gotten into a bad rut of letting them sleep in their RnP's all day (they also sleep in them at night). But they are most content there and I don't know what else to do with them. I feel like I should be interacting with them more, but that's hard to do when they pretty much sleep all day....

Meinschatz11 · February 2013

When we had family here, they pretty much were never not held unless it was the middle of the night. My parents and sister were practically fighting over who got to hold him. If someone wasn't holding him, I rotated his sleeping between the swing, RNP, and the activity mat. We didn't do much with him except feed, burp, and change because he slept almost all the time. It's normal though. He's just now to the point where he is staying awake long enough that we can have meaningful interaction.

sammichele · February 2013

He sleeps a lot still, but I do spend a lot of time holding him whether sleeping or not. When he is awake I sing to him often. I recently started reading him books. We also lay him on his activity mat or in his crib with toys around him so he can look around at them. The crib playtime is probably not the greatest idea since we should be associating it with sleep but I am trying to get him used to laying in there in general. I have put him in his swing a handful of times but he doesnt really like it.

Shazzie116 · February 2013

When they're asleep, let them sleep!

I know it's probably harder with two, but I spent a ton of time just talking to Lily, singing her songs, walking around the apartment and telling her different things ("This is a picture of your grandma and grampa." "This is mama and daddy on their wedding day! We got married near the ocean and we will go play there when you're big enough and dip your toes in the water!" "Look at all the trees out the window. And there's a squirrel! It's brown!" "This is a Kitchen Aid mixer. We will make lots of yummy cookies together someday with it!"). They will love to hear your voice and different inflections. I swear my child is happy and upbeat because that's how we talk to and interact with her. Happy, silly, laughing, singing. It's what she knows.

I also made a playlist on my iPod of songs I like to sing to, songs with nice melodies, so when she was awake, I'd hold her and we'd sway or dance (gently) around the living room and I could sing to her, more than just You Are My Sunshine and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It has a lot of Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Colbie Callait, Jack Johnson. It's kind of a hipster easy listening mix. lol

You can also read them books and show them pictures, hold up toys and describe them, move them around slowly so they can start learning to focus their eyes on objects. Interact with them as much as you can and just soak it all in. I miss those early days at home and bonding. It's the best.

ungraceful13 · February 2013

When she was tiny slept all day either on me, in the swing or rnp. Now we nap, feed, and play on the mat, play in the bouncer, lay on my legs and talk and we read.

KatieKim0815 · February 2013

If they sleep, let them sleep! I feel guilty too particularly since I can't always hold E when he eats as I am probably pumping simultaneously. So I feel the guilt too. But I would definitely use the sleeping time for stuff for you! Hudson (who's 2.5 years old) goes to preschool 3 days a week and so I use the days when I just have E to relax and do things around the house. Today I was able to workout, do my nails, have a bath and pump etc. So I would take this time to not feel guilty and when they sleep do mommy things. When they're awake you can just hold them and practice tummy time!

procstar25 · February 2013

AGsWife gave me this link because I was lost on what to do with Cole all day as well. I now reference it once daily at least.

http://www.productiveparenting.com/aspx/ActivityLibrary.aspx?aid=0A

Kaiene · February 2013

I would narrate to DS what I was doing. We would do some tummy time, snuggle time, reading of whatever, etc.

I stared at him. A lot.

Jeep Doll · February 2013

It is hard with twins! I agree with everyone above... let them sleep and get things done while you can Smile When they are awake more and you alternate entertaining each of them, you will have zero time to do anything else (at least I don't... I have time to do dishes or eat lunch while they nap and that's about it). Twin mom guilt is awful. I wish I could carry them all day and although I could carry one on one day and switch to the other, or keep switching during the day, I still feel bad and like I'm neglecting one.

Sorry this turned into an "I feel like a bad mom" post! I'm just saying get things done now because you won't have much time in the upcoming months.

As far as what I do when they are awake depends on their development. Tummy time is important and interaction between them is fun to watch when they start noticing each other. I sometimes would hold one while the other was doing tummy time. I would read to them, either by propping them on boppies with me facing them and holding the book toward them while I read upside-down, or I would lay on the floor with them and put their heads near mine while I held the book above me where we could all see it (wait until they can see that far, though). Played a lot of music and took turns holding them and "dancing" around the room. I held up black and white patterns or images so they could focus on them. Tried to find other things that made noises, like rattles, or chip bags, or bottle of water (shaking it). Also looked for fabrics with different textures/feels and rubbed those on their hands and faces. Singing was fun!

fusionbride · February 2013

when they're really little, it is hard because they don't do very much. I would go on a daily walk with baby in stroller or carrier (once she was big enough), and we did tummy time twice a day, then pretty much nursing, diapering, and getting baby to sleep and keeping her in clean clothes took up all my time.

once she can see things, we did a lot of time in the activity gym, or with her on her back in the crib and my using rattling or jingling toys above her so she can track them, or just making faces at her and talking-- she thinks I'm a laugh riot right now. We still do daily walks and I have started reading to her.

Also, I have a book called "Baby Play" by gymboree which also has a lot of activity ideas.

What to do with them all day?

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