How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

I know DD doesnt get enough floor time, but it's hard. I have very hard floors, no carpeting, and pets.

How do you give your DC floor time in this situation and how much time?

A

Message edited 7/30/2009 3:16:08 PM.

Re: Moms of infants, how much time does your DC spend on the floor?

I don't know how much time at daycare she spends there, I think quite a bit. But at home, I'm starting to put her on the floor more and more. But only when I can sit and play with her because she doesn't like to be left alone there. If I have something to do in the kitchen (the playroom is almost part of the kitchen), then she goes in the jumperoo or excersaucer.

ETA: Even though the playroom is carpeted, it's not soft carpeting, so I bought those colorful interlocking foam mats to put on the floor. I would say she gets about 30 minutes a day at home on the floor during the week. More on the weekends when we are home.

Message edited 7/30/2009 3:16:25 PM.

Re: Moms of infants, how much time does your DC spend on the floor?

DS is on the floor a lot. We have one of those foam puzzle piece mat and he plays with all his toys on that.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

My dd is now19 mos but---I would give her floor time in her bedroom on a playmat. I trained my dog before she was born not to come in her room. I have no carpeting either and that is how I dealt with my dog. Good luck.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

Posted by Goobster
Hmm I have to figure something out b/c this child is never going to learn to crawl.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

I use the interlocking foam pieces as well. My 6 month old DD is on the floor a LOT each day.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

Posted by Goobster

Posted by DRMom

Posted by Goobster

I know DD doesnt get enough floor time, but it's hard. I have very hard floors, no carpeting, and pets.

How do you give your DC floor time in this situation and how much time?

A

My kids are on the floor pretty much the whole day with periods of exersaucer and infant to toddler rocker. I also have pets and hardwood. We bought a gate that goes between kitchen and LR to keep the dogs out(BTW I got it on CL for $3!) and I bought a 5X7 rug at Wal mart for them to play on. I have all their toys in a big basket amd their books in a smaller one

I def have to start putting DD on the floor more. It's hard b/w her reflux, also with the way my house is (walls b/w each room, older home) that can't be seen from the other rooms. So if I put her in one room and gate it, I would not be able to leave the room which means nothing at all would get done. Plus she still falls a bit so it has to be very cushy rug or mat for sure.

Hmm I have to figure something out b/c this child is never going to learn to crawl.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

all the time, since 8 months when he could really sit up well on his own. before that he was in the jumperoo and exersaucer a lot.

he's outgrown those and is crawling now so he is always on the floor. we have carpeting but the ILs have hardwood and tile upstairs - i don't see the big deal with letting him crawl on that. he is low to the ground so god forbid he bumps his head, it's not a big bump.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

My kids are always on the floor. We have an area rug so they spend most of the time on that. If we didn't I'd get one of the foam mats. The cats don't bother them.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

Katie crawls all over so she is on the floor most of the day. We have a thin area rug in the living room , thats the main room we hang out in. She crawls on the hardwood floors a lot too. Sometimes her little knees are red but I am assuming it doesnt bother her or she wouldnt do it.

When we were in sesame place, she was even crawling in the baby pool, despite the fact that it was cement on the bottom

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

I'd say DS is on the floor about 85% of the time he's awake. Sometimes I am down there with him, sometimes he is by himself. He will occassionally go in the exersaucer or jumper but now that he can crawl he has a lot less interest. When I need to do something, I usually take him with me (ie...he'll hang in the highchair while I empty the dishwasher, plays with toys in crib while I shower, etc)

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

I would get the foam pieces or get an inexpensive area rug from Target that you can roll up and put away when not in use.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

How old is she now? Starting around 6 months DS spent most of his "play" time on the floor - we also have hard wood floors - I bought a TON of the alphabet foam mats at one step ahead and put them in the living room floor - i wouldmove them when we had company - i would also put blankets over in the beginning when he was first starting to crawl b/c he would roll across the room at first and was worried the mat wasn't soft enough. He would sit in the boppy and play with the sing along show case, lunge out of it, crawl around or roll around and play with the tons of toys i put for him on the mat/blankets. Around 9 months I got him the learning home and that went on the mat too along with the fisher price piano - around 8.5 months though things got more dangerous with the pulling up and worse from there with the cruising - meaning I HAD to have mats around b/c he fell all the time. I also had an area rug we would play on in his room.

Don't have pets so can't help you there but my house sounds a little bit like yours. It IS hard to get stuff done - what I would do is keep the exersaucer and jumperoo in the kitchen and when I needed to be in there he would go in there - if not - i spent a lot of time just hanging with him or doing what i could in the living room while watching him - yes, my house was never that neat!

HTH!

Message edited 7/30/2009 4:22:02 PM.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

I always have DS on the floor. He isn't really moving around (unless you count the floor spinning) so Its eay to do my thing while he plays.

We have carpet, but why dont you put some blankets down or get a play mat and have her on that. DS happens to love the floor, he can scoot under stuff and laughs at himself.

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

I def. recommend the one step ahead mats I bought the alphabet and the numbers. DD is always on the floor, now that she is crawling she is everywhere!

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

I have the floor mat from One Step Ahead and taught my dog not to go on it, even now at 18 months its his play area and the dog does not go on it. Once he started crawling he did fine on the wood floor!

Re: How much floor time for infants? What to do re (hardwood floors, pets, etc)

my ds is 11 months and is always on the floor when we are at home. We have wood floors and he hasn't had a problem. He only moves around on his tushy though.

Before he was to mobile we put him on the activity mat on the floor.

Message edited 7/30/2009 10:23:53 PM.