How do you entertain your newborn??

These days are so long. DD is 5.5 weeks and is really becoming so aware so she constantly wants to be entertained and look at new things, but most toys are still way too young for her. She is only happy when I am carrying her and walking around, and I can't do that all day. She also likes her play mat, but that only lasts for 20 minutes tops. I've tried different carriers, but unless she is tired she gets cranky really quickly. I find myself praying for her naps, but I don't want to be like that.

How do you entertain such young babies who are too young to interact with us/toys??

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

It was so hard at that age because there wasn't really anything they can do. I put her in her swing alot and she loved that. It has a mobile on top so she stared at that. I let her lay on the playmat or sit in the bouncy seat. I took her for walks or just took her out with me to pass the hours. Maybe get a few rattles and shake them for her - or put them in her hand (not that she can hold them...)

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

I feel bad, but a lot of times I'm *not* entertaining her because I'm busy with the toddler...

Anyway, I put her on the playmat (Kate likes to lay with her too), put her in her swing, lay her on the changing part of the pack n play--she loves looking at the bears. She also "likes" Baby Einstein and Katherine's found a new appreciation for it too--but I'm not a big fan of putting a newborn in front of TV too much as tempting as it is DH walked in yesterday to me cooking and instructing Abby on my meatball-making technique...I just talk to her most of the time!

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

When we're home, DS likes going in his bouncy seat, swing, or activity mat. Those usually last about 15 minutes before he gets bored. Mostly we go out, even if it's just to the mall. He loves looking around and it gets me around people who can communicate by another method other than crying.

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

i posted this same question a few weeks ago. i found that ds loves board books with blank and white and vibrant colors, he can look at them forever and i just talk and read to him.

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

Read.

Sing songs.

Read.

Talk and explain what your are doing... folding laundry, cooking dinner, etc.

Read.

If working outside the home, explain how your day went, what you did, who you saw, etc.

Did I say read?

There are several educational studies recently released that link intelligence to how many different words and high order vocabulary children are exposed to in the first year of life.

ETA: There is a great board book that my DS LOVED at this stage called, "I Kissed the Baby". It's all black and white. He would get all jumpy when I opened it up.

Message edited 7/30/2007 1:37:42 PM.

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

I have this thing from Leap Frog, I don't know what it is called but I'll find out. Basically it can be used for newborns through toddler stage if you move the legs around. At newborn stage they sit under it and there are 3 levers they can push and it will play classical music. There are "cards" that go into the toy that will cause the levers to do something else instead (like ABC's and 123's) for older children. Then you can move the legs around so they can use it while sitting up, and again so they can use while standing. Liam really liked that. Also he loved his swing - there was a mirror on top he could look at himself with and he got a kick out of that. But mostly the Leap Frog thing. However at 5 weeks I can't remember if he moved the levers or if I did them for him.
I'll post what it's called later, it's by Leap Frog I'm pretty sure but I can't find the picture of it on their site.

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

i know this muht sound razy but i dance around for ds and he loves it. i talk to him alot and i out him in his swing whuch is a god send

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

Honestly unless she was sleeping I held her. They're only little once. Everything else can wait. If I had to cook (which I didn't do for a long time) I put her in the bouncy. I learned to BF or hold her while she was napping and use my laptop.
We also would go for walks or go to friends houses. Not entertaining for her but still a change of scenery.
Maybe around 3 months we would use Baby Einstein videos once a day so I could get a few things done.

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

Honestly, a lot of the time when he was that age I would take him for long, long walks. This way he was getting the movement he loved and I was getting exercise. I would walk to the park, put out a blanket, and let him stare up at the trees.

I also just touched him a lot when we were playing - I was nonstop stimulation with him when I played (but gave him chill out time too, where I wasnt bombarding him) - I would "run" his legs, shake his arms, talk, sing, flurber his tummy, play peek a boo with a blanket over my face and his... I really attribute his happy, giggly personality to the fact that I really played a lot with him right from the start - I remember doing all this when he was 2 weeks old, and him looking at me with the corners of his mouth raised into this tiny smile....

It seems like yesterday that he was 5 weeks old now I get it when moms say how fast they grow - you will see - she will be 4 months before you know it and so silly and playful - you will forget how hard it was to play with her!!! He is JUST beginning to get into toys now - it really wasnt his thing - he still is more into playing with people than toys...

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

Thanks for all your replies. I guess this is just a "stage" - I really can't wait until Madison is more interactive with me and we can have fun together. Not a fan of the newborn stage.

Re: How do you entertain your newborn??

I read to her a lot, play with her on her activity mat, in her crib (she sleeps in a bassinet now but loves her tiny love mobile), talk to her while she is in her swing or bouncer, sing to her, take her on walks. I also have some toys which she loves to look at (but short attention span) she is also swatting at her toys now as well. There isn't that much you can do but I try to keep her occupied while she is awake (which is actually quite a lot of the time b.c she sleeps well at night).