1 year old bored - how to keep her entertained

amother

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 9:53 am

Anyone have any ideas how to keep a 1 year old entertained? She has noone to play with and I can't take her out all day and during the hours that she is home, she cries because she wants to be held all the time. I tried giving her different toys and putting on fun music but the only thing that seems to work sometimes is her watching nursery rhymes on youtube and she gets bored from that as well plus I don't want her watching for too long since I know it's not the best for her. Anyone have any tips for me if I can't take her to the park or for walks all day long? She goes to a babysitter until 2:30 from mon-thurs but she wants to be held from when I pick her up until she goes to sleep around 7ish and she is very heavy. I am wiped out by the time by husband gets home every day from trying to keep her entertained. She doesn't want a 2nd nap since she take a good nap by her morah every day. I need some advice.....TIA

ectomorph

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:34 am

Are you pregnant?

Take her out for a short walk in the morning and a long park visit in the afternoon.

Is she closer to 1 or 2? As they get older they need more stimulation and attention.

buy her a bunch of new toys and see what interests her, then get more of that type

Let her help you wash dishes, laundry etc

amother

Violet

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:39 am

Give her quality floor time , one on one interaction with you using age appropriate toys, for up to 20 minutes right when she gets home. Then she might be “ full” of mommy attention and able to play herself for a bit . Do you have a playpen she can play in? With different toys/ books than what you just used while playing with her ..

amother

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:39 am

She just turned 1 and I'm not pregnant but I am pretty much exhausted by the time I finish working and have to go pick her up. I wish I had more energy! I also have to make supper during that time but she wants me to hold her while I'm making supper which isn't easy. I also have things to take care of around the house and she wants me to walk around holding her the entire time. Once my husband comes home around 6:45, she usually calms down and is happy again and is willing to play with her toys while me and my husband sit on the couch watching her. Are you saying I should take her out from 2:30 - 6:40 every day to make her happy? That's a lot of hours to be out.....

amother

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:43 am

amother [ Violet ] wrote:

I have a lot of fun toys for her but she doesn't want to play with them most of the time unless there are more people around. She does well with more people but it's just me and her until my son gets home and even that is not always enough for her. For example, she was amazing over y't because we were with a lot of people and she loves the action/noise:) I have a lot of toys that light up and play music and are interactive. I guess since she is out for 5 hours by the babysitter, she wants my full attention for the next 4 hours. I end up giving her a lot of quality time but I'm wiped out by the time my husband gets home. It would be nice if she wouldn't get upset if I put her down right next to me while I take care of things.

amother

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:45 am

I find it pretty cute that she does best when we're around a lot of people. She loves the noise and excitement. She must be a very sociable kid. It's funny because my son was the exact opposite and big crowds/noise used to overwhelm him at that age.

amother

Burgundy

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:48 am

It's normal for babies that are by the babysitter every day to want to be held & be more clingy when they're home with mom. After you come home, give her your full uninterrupted attention for a while, give her snack, lunch... and try to go out for a bit every day. The more you ignore her and do things around the house when she's home with you, the more kvetchy and clingy she'll be. Try to leave housework for when baby is asleep. Try not to let her have any screen time at all, it's a pity to get them used to it at 1 years old. How old is your son? Is she happier when he gets home from school?

Ema of 5

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:50 am

A few suggestions:

Have you tried wearing her? You will be holding her and be able to do most, if not all, of what you need to do.
Try either prepping supper in the morning, or prep on Sunday for the week. and you can defrost in the AM and just throw in the oven when you get home. Crock pot dinners are also a good choice, because you can leave it on low all day.

studying_torah

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:50 am

I had a child that way and it was exhausting. She had to come into the bathroom with me!
Can you try to babywear instead of holding her?
Alternate play time by herself with one on one in smaller chunks?
Or maybe she does needs a small afternoon nap?

Good luck op!

amother

Brown

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 10:53 am

Children that age don't get bored. They may want to be held, but that's a different need.(Tired, hungry, anxious, etc.) A very young child has a short attention span and needs a variety of stimuli. Going outside is good for both of you.

Zehava

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 11:07 am

It’s healthy for a kid to be bored sometimes. I let mine cry for a bit if I know he isn’t tired or hungry, and after a couple minutes he finds something to do. You don’t have to entertain or hold a one year old all day.

amother

Burlywood

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 11:31 am

I have one around that age and I also find she's very clingy after a day of daycare/work. I try to do dinner prep in spurts and do really easy dinners whenever possible so I can give her attention. Right when we come in I'll do something like turn on the oven, get water in the pot ready to boil, etc. while she plays near me on the floor. Then I nurse her and we play or read a little, and then I do more dinner prep. If she's fussy I hand her different kitchen things to play with (measuring cups, plastic bowls, spatulas, etc. She likes the novelty of different things. I also pick her up to show her what I'm doing and let her touch whatever's safe for sensory play (put her hand under the running faucet, make a banging noise with the frying pan, crinkle the aluminum foil). Everything does take longer, but at leas I get a start. I can't wait till she can help!

Eselle13

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 11:46 am

For meal prep - I bought different types of magnets for the fridge and dish washers that baby can pull off and stick on other things. I also used to let the baby play with pots and spoons.

The kitchen sometimes looked like a hurricane by the time I was finished prepping and washing up but it kept him happy for the most part.

I also found that he liked to play most with things that weren't toys. The cordless phone, my headset, a calculator, an empty tissue box with blocks.

amother

Chartreuse

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 12:11 pm

Everyone has good ideas. May be a growth spurt, feed your child as soon as you pick up, a yogurt or bread or leben or cheese, cookie, crackera, fruit and drink. pacifier and bottle are a good idea too. who said your child drank enough when out? clingy usually means something is bothering. I would also do crib time with music toys so you can make supper for 15 min and have a a breather. Between you and me, your child needs a second short nap. That is quite young to have 1 long nap only.

amother

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 12:53 pm

amother [ Chartreuse ] wrote:

She naps for a about 2-3 hours by her morah and usually only wakes up around 2ish so I don't think she's ready for a nap for the next few hours and by then it's too late to put her down for a nap since she goes to sleep for the night around 7:30. I keep her up until my husband gets home because he wants to spend time with her before she goes to sleep since he doesn't see her all day. Otherwise, I would put her to sleep around 6:45/7.

The magnets idea is a very good one. She also likes when I keep the fridge door open and she can look inside at everything.

amother

White

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 1:03 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

It sounds like she's tired. 5.5 hours is a long time to be awake for a 1 year old and most babies aren't ready for one nap until 15 months or so. Any way the babysitter can try pushing her nap earlier and you put her down at 3ish for an hour or so?

mfb

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 1:10 pm

mom2mysouls wrote:

I turn on music and mine gets instantly happier. I also give her my spoons, measuring cups, etc to play with. Sometimes even foam cups to crush☺

Please rather give plastic cups to crush it’s a great activity!! Foam can be bitten off and the pieces are a big choking hazard that is very hard to remove if it gets stuck in the throat.

amother

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 1:14 pm

amother [ White ] wrote:

I wish she would put her down for an earlier nap but she is one of the youngest in the group and everyone goes down to nap around 11/11:30 and she likes to have everyone on the same napping schedule. I feel bad to ask her because the only times she gets things done is when all the kids are napping.

mom2mysouls

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 1:18 pm

mfb wrote:

Please rather give plastic cups to crush it’s a great activity!! Foam can be bitten off and the pieces are a big choking hazard that is very hard to remove if it gets stuck in the throat.

Youre right. Somehow she loves the foam cups, cuz she rips it easily. Although she outgrew the stage of putting non food items in her mouth, I only give it if she is nearby and I can supervise. But you are very right about that point.