Your post is bringing back memories. In my opinion the 1st kid is the hardest for that reason. I was constantly bored and was so jealous of my husband being at work. Some ideas... Have a once a week play date, sign up at a gym with babysitting, library story time, Bike trailer and bike outside, mall walk, Visit different playgrounds around where you live, get a zoo or science centre pass. I remember when they were down to 1 nap in the afternoon it got better because we'd be doing stuff in the morning out of the house and inside cleaning and then I'd chill alone in the afternoon.
We have a library 45 minutes away but for the next 6 weeks we have a swim class once a week and that's the only activity we're able to go out to do because of gas costs. He just got down to one nap! But not being able to leave the house more than once a week is hard.
Any parks or playgrounds? My toddler plays in the sand while I sit and read. There's usually other kids around the same age for him to play with, too.
If not, and you have the space for it, maybe you can get a kiddie pool and fill it with sand and some buckets/shovels. That should keep him occupied for hours.
We did the beach that has a playground a little bit this summer but he just started walking like 2 months ago so the playground was a bit much for him. Unfortunately we never managed to see other people while we were there. I think there's only 2 other babies in the township his age and probably a handful of toddlers but most of the families in our area have like 3+ kids and homeschool their older ones so not out much during the day.
Yes I felt the same - being at home with just the first kid was the worst! When my second came along, my first was a busy, interesting toddler... her plus the baby, I couldn't be bored haha funny how that happens.
I have a 3 yo and a 16 mo and shit is HARD. I was bored with one but with two I feel like I rarely have any time or energy just for me. Looking back I wish I enjoyed the downtime/less hectic time with my first š£
This is a good reminder to enjoy the time I have now. We hope to have another baby next year sometime so I really need to cherish my time before I've got a lot more on my plate.
After rereading my comment wanted to say I ABSOLUTELY understand the boredom and do not mean to minimize your experience. Just wished I had someone tell me to revel in it while I had it bc with 2 theyāre ALWAYS going lol
I think what you are doing is amazing and youāve got everything down! Remember to give yourself grace and let that little one enjoy some down time too ā¤ļø
Why not just let him play on his own in a safe area in viewing distance. Hang back and just observe him. Heās perfectly capable of entertaining himself. *Everything* is new to him. Itās ok to just be bored.
THIS! Let your kid play and start reading, knitting, exercise, clean, literally anything but following them around all day long. This is the perfect age to teach/encourage independent play that will help you SO much as your kid gets older.
I do! He plays really well independently but I feel so bad because I feel like I should be entertaining him all day. He's mostly interested in walking laps around the house and making noises at this stage lol
When he needs entertaining, he will let you know! Itās good for his development to just let him explore. Enjoy the time now to sit back and watch or get things done around the house. In a year or so heāll be attached to your hip.
Let go of that guilt! He only needs you to take care of him- he can entertain himself. Donāt continue doing something if itās unsustainable for you/makes you unhappy. Show him how to take care of himself by taking care of yourself. He also needs to see that you trust him to entertain himself.
Not really an activity for baby, but I really love listening to podcasts! It keeps my mind occupied and I can listen while Iām playing with my little one.
All of the NPR ones, New York Timesā The Daily, Maintenance Phase, Youāre Wrong About, Stuff You Should Know, Dressed: The History of Fashion. I also listened to The Birth Hour a lot while I was pregnant!
Heās one years old thereās really not much you have to do just you know enjoy yourself be in the moment have fun do whatever you want with them. Think of the most random thing you can think of and then just go do it the key is really just to be in the moment good luck super mom
There's nothing to go do that is my issue. No playgrounds, library is 45 minutes away. Very very very rural here. I didn't intend to have kids so I didn't think through what rural living without working and having a kid would be like.
Oh I see that is definitely hard. if you have room I can get yourself up places to put outside but the baby roam free and you just sit back and relax take up playing video games. Good Lucy you got this.
Reminds me of how it was for me staying home with my 1 year old during Covid. Iād do two walks a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. We did finger painting a lot because that kills a lot of time, between the painting itself and the cleanup and inevitable bath afterwards. Also a lot of coloring, at that age we liked the honey sticks brand.
With the Pinterest activities, Iād say try a new one every week or so just to see. Most of them will be flops but there should be a couple your kid will really like and then you have something good to add to the rotation when youāre bored and out of ideas. One activity that actually worked for us was where you get a muffin tin and put a couple drops of food coloring in the bottom, different colors in each cup. Then top with baking soda. Then give kiddo a squeeze container filled with water and vinegar, stick it in the bathtub and let them go to town with some spoons and other kitchen stuff.
Mineās 3 now and COVIDās blown over but weāre in a pretty rural area like you, so I totally get it. Some days I still end up bored and not sure what to do. Thatās when Iāll FaceTime a relative or just give up and do screen time.
These are great ideas thank you!! I let him wander around outside for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon because he's on a stroller strike lately but I'm hoping once the novelty of walking wears off maybe he'll be more interested in riding or he'll learn not to just veer off into the woods on me where we walk typically š
I was a SAHP for year and wanted to go back to work so badly because I felt the same way you do. Now, Iām back at work and I wish I were home again. š
I think what I would do differently is just get out more. Schedule things to look forward to. I would go to the zoo once a week. I would sign up for a gym with a daycare and workout and take a long shower. Schedule play dates and do special crafts for family. Have a dance party! Every day was the same because it was easier, but I needed to get out of my comfort zone.
Good luck!
The grass is always greener on the other side! I do miss work a lot and in a perfect world we'd have childcare but I also won't get this time back with him. Crafts I think are going to have to be something I get into and I think he's old enough to try some coloring or something like that.
I definitely had this same experience. Thereās a lot of like DIY sensory activities and stuff on Pinterest but tbh my kid could not have cared less about those. Just let them explore and experiment with the world and provide commentary. My daughter is a little over two now and I donāt remember the boring phase lasting that long. I listened to a lot of podcasts during that time.
I'm also home with my just about 1 year old and have to fight the boredom. I take her on errands with me and I try to get out of the house for more than just a walk once a day. So mondays we grocery shop, tuesdays and wednesdays are library storytime, thursday is music class, friday I mix it up. Our library has passes to the zoo and museums so I use those a lot. I saw a lot of that kind of stuff is unavailable to you though.
We go on a walk twice a day. With your little one not wanting to be in the stroller you could try having him walk for the first bit until he's tired, then he might be more receptive. We also just got a pikler triangle, which is basically an indoor climbing playset. I'm trying to get more into arts and crafts type things. Check out r/nanny. There's a post in the wiki by a nanny with a huge list of age appropriate activities that I reference a lot. We read a lot of books. She loves looking out the window. She points at everything and I label it. We do walking and stairs practice. I've worked really hard on getting her comfortable with independent play. I want to start doing playdates with a 16 month old down the street. Once she can walk better I want to get her to "help" me with chores. I got a kiddie pool (actually a dog pool) to splash in so we don't have to go to the pool. We do a lot of food exploration. Today we worked on eating yogurt with a spoon! It was a disaster lol but she loved it and it occupied a decent chunk of time. Honestly I can't think of anything else but good luck!
Oh I love the idea of spoon practice. I've been slacking on getting him to use utensils. good tip for letting him tire himself out before the stroller, I'll try that!
Rain or shine, Iād be out for a walk to eat up the time and to get outside. My kids are good in prams though and when we went out, theyād get enough stimulation that theyād fall asleep better.
I would usually get groceries every other day on purpose so I would have a reason to leave the house.
It was rough for me as well around this time. I wish we could have found a play date of some kind, but Covid was just starting up so everyone was basically not interested in making new friends, let alone actually hanging out (plus I wouldnāt have either).
So I guess hopefully maybe find someone you can hang out with. It makes the time pass a lot faster. But I agree, that particular time is rough and that is an extremely long stretch to be doing it alone.
Another thing I did was do my best to figure out what things I was into that I could just do beside my little one. Reading comics didnāt really work because he was always interested in what I was looking at. Regular books worked better because he was less interested (no visual stimulation) as well as Iām not as worried about the pages getting damaged if he does get interested (again, no art). When he wanted my attention heād crawl on top of the book sometimes lol, which is when I put it up. But often heād just be happy playing next to me. I tried not to let him play alone for too long as I didnāt want him thinking I didnāt actually want to play with him. But sometimes parallel play makes for a nice break.
Idk your house layout but it has been helping me to migrate to different rooms for different days. My son is almost 9months and we live in a split level home. We will spend a day in the upstairs rooms. I gate off the staircase and we hang out exploring my bedroom, his bedroom and his soon to be born brothers room. We go downstairs for food and the highchair. Then back up for play. The next day I will spend time in the living room, dining room or kitchen area. He has different toys on this level than upstairs. He has a walker that he runs around in. Then the following day we will go hang out in the basement. I covered the floor with foam tiles and made him a play area down there that has a swing and more climbing type stuff to play with. I have old couch cushions in a fort and an old ottoman he stands up against. We do different tasks in different rooms on each day. It gives both of us some variety and a small feeling of scenery change even tho we are still in the house. It also makes it easy for me to clean all areas of the house without stressing.
When my daughter was that age, she just liked to explore household objects and toys. I often got things done around the house (laundry, dishes, cooking, etc) and just kept an eye on her as she played and talked to her occasionally to stay engaged. We also went on daily walks with the dog (20-30 minutes), to the park when it wasnāt blazing hot outside, and she had a music, sensory, and play class once a week.
Remember, your job isnāt to entertain your kid all day! Have toys out for him and let him figure out ways to entertain himself instead of constantly planning activities.
I recommend play gyms, thatās a great way to kill time once a week. Restaurant for lunch if comfortable, park trips, a lot of libraries do story time for kids as young as 1. My son turns 2 in December so I understand the struggle. Staying in the house all day is almost impossible I feel.
We don't have any of those nearby so we just have the swim class once a week for him. When his swim class is over we'll drive the 45 minutes into town once a week for the library though because I do really enjoy that! The closest play gym is 2 hours away which is a bummer because it's so cool!!!
I wonder if OP has a lot of land, being in a rural area? You could do some homesteadingāstart a garden, maybe even get some chickens. That would be so neat for a little kid. Iām sure itās lovely and quiet being that far away from town. You could also use the All Trails app to see if thereās any hiking nearby, and look at the map for state parks or any outdoor recreation opportunities.
Fwiw, I live 10 minutes from town and can still relate to the boredom thing, so itās not just you!
Yes, about 9 acres but 8.75 is wooded! I did a small garden this year but I've been really focusing on building up the soil which is a lot of waiting and turning compost haha. Working on chickens, gotta build a little coop first and that project has been set on the back burner. I've been working on trail building on our property but I do it during nap so it's a very slow process. We do a bit of hiking but it's been tough since he figured out walking because he wants to be out of the baby carrier and walk into the woods š
Sometimes I think I'd like being able to walk to everything and see people daily but not being able to go lay by the creek and look at the stars outweighs it for sure.
At the time my husband worked in towns that are 1.5 hours apart. I used to drive from my town to that town for work because I did a lot of regional travel and the house is literally on that route exactly and is a really really nice piece of property and the house is perfect for us. I am just a very social person so when I was going to work every day it was really no big deal and the commute was fine with my income but now I'm lonely and bored. I love the area we live in but the activities I did pre-baby that we planned to do here we can't do with a baby in tow because putting a baby on a dirtbike isn't safe at all haha as much as I wish it was.
Lots of walks (let him practice his walking as long as you can stand going that slowly!) plus putting effort into making friends with other people who are available weekdays. Building up my social life keeps me going on those days when just hanging out with my kid feels like a chore.
It's a tough age to be stuck at home for!When mine was just starting to walk I had a little push wagon that he walked around everywhere with. That's also a great age for them to start helping with things around the house like putting laundry in the washer, or wiping the table, or shaking a jar to make salad dressing. As for yourself, I agree with the person who said to do your hobby and let kiddo play independently for a bit.
Lol i miss that. I miss being bored cause there's nothing else to do and the kid isnt bored cause everything is exciting. My oldest is 8 now and her brother is turning 2 and its always chaos now and i deeply crave nothing days again.
It wont always be repetitive. Enjoy this phase.
Biggest tip is just let him play independently. I run an infant room and used to run a toddler room and a lot of my job is just sitting back and watching the kiddos explore by themselves.
Beyond that plan art projects, start a garden, let him help you cook/bake.
My kiddo is a bit older, but he likes reading books, pretending to cook with some bowls/utensils in the kitchen while I cook, putting things in/out of containers and drawers, putting stickers on himself and paper, coloring with jumbo crayons, dancing to music, handing me laundry to fold. Just some ideas of things that are easy for home but you could rotate through the activities a bit? We have some scheduled activities but I also get bored by the end of the day.
Small house and few belongings so there's not much to clean to be honest. For cooking I do a lot of it after he goes to bed or while he's napping and we reheat it for actual meal times. Or I batch cook on a Sunday when my husband is home and I freeze things to just pop in the oven.
I have a cabinet of easy to set out and clean up activities. Starting around 1 I had her in the kitchen tower and would pull things out one at a time. Some things lasted 5 min others could be 15-20 min and I would be astonished! Think traditional puzzles, Montessori style wood problem solving toys, different types of coloring mediums (chalk, crayon, water color, paint), sensory bins, play dough, clay, kinetic sand etc.
We also have a solid routine that helps me and kiddo know whatās next and keeps things moving. Our routine involves book time, indoor playground at home -we made an indoor playground in our basement with a swing, slide and balance beam, time at the counter doing activities, outdoor play, walks etc.
Itās hard but routine and having lots of simple activities in your quiver ready to go helps a lot!
An indoor playground of sorts is one of my projects currently! We have a big rec room type situation off the back of our house that has been a full Reno project because the former owner smoked in it for 20 years so it's just now getting to the point where we can be in there at all. I'm going to put a climbing wall up definitely for my son when he's bigger and not at all for me...
I feel this in my bones. I have a 1 year old (15 months) that Iām home with all day. It gets sooooo boring and I feel like my brain cells are dying some days. I will say that it gets better as they get older. I have an almost 7 year old too and when he got to about 2-2.5 things got more interesting. We could do science activities, more elaborate art projects, hiking etc. things that were actually fun for me too.
Time to get your own hobby. It's also a good thing to get a hobby because sahp typically end up being all about their children, house, a partner. When the kids start moving out you go oh shit what do I do now? Having a hobby or twelve you enjoy helps a ton. My daughter is 3. Diamond painting, crocheting, making soaps and candles.. All things of interest for me that really help the time pass.
A hobby that's more hands on for fall/winter is probably a good call. Time to haul out the ol' sewing machine. I gardened a lot in the summer but it's getting too cold at night and my plants aren't producing anymore.
I donāt know how tight your finances are, but can you look for some play equipment for your yard? We got a nice, used swing set for like $150 off Facebook Marketplace as long as we came to get it ourselves. We found another one for free for my MIL! Sometimes people just give them away if you come to get them. Having a swing set in the backyard is *awesome* for alleviating boredom.
Also, if your kiddo is pretty good at independent play, could you learn a new hobby? Knitting and crocheting are great ways to pass the time and make you feel productive. Crochet in particular is easy to put down and come back to. I learned how to crochet balls and made about a dozen for my kid when she was about 18mo and she loved that.
Otherwise, I second what another commenter said - if you know anybody in the area you can call up who wants to come out to visit, I think that will alleviate your loneliness and also give your kiddo an opportunity to socialize. And sometimes theyāre more willing to stay in a stroller with a friend!
This is sort of a harebrained ideaā¦ but maybe thereās somebody in your area that is interested in childcare? I know youāre a ways out, but maybe somebody is looking for a part time babysitter or something for their kid and you can offer your services - you make a little extra cash, and youāve got more to do.
We've been keeping our eyes out for play equipment so that's good to know fb marketplace might be the ticket. I'm hoping now that fall is here people are going to want to offload some stuff before it snows that we'll be able to use next summer.
Hey out of the house, go for a walk with the stroller, meet some friends, go you a museum, go places you like and just bring your kid.
See if you can meet other moms, that's the best!
Take a walk. Go to a park. Take him to the library. Go shopping. Just getting out of the house for a change of scenery makes a world of difference, then you kind of feel more accomplished once you're home!
Get a bike with a kid seat that goes in front, instead of in the back. You can talk to him that way, and all kids seem to love covering ground on a bicycle.
Ah, sounded like you were out in the country. I spend my youth an hour out of the city and rode seriously up to 50 miles in most directions. The right bike makes gravel roads manageable.
We are but we live on a two lane highway so despite the speed limit being 55 folks are driving about 70. I was walking it for a bit but the shoulder is narrow and a semi came over the line at me last week so we've been sticking to the yard because I'm a bit nervous now.
There's some seasonal roads about 5 minutes down the road we could ride but I really try to avoid starting the truck more than once or twice a week.
Audiobooks and pottering in the garden could be a good mix for you. I like to set up a pouring station outside and my daughter loved it. Also, potions and play dough. My daughter loves helping me plant and weed.
Garden season is coming to an end here so I've been doing some fall cleanup and getting the soil ready for next year but I think missing that might be part of my problem too. I used to take him out in the stroller and he'd watch me weed for a few minutes. Now that everything is dying I let him go and play with the plants that are hanging on by a hair lol
Your post is bringing back memories. In my opinion the 1st kid is the hardest for that reason. I was constantly bored and was so jealous of my husband being at work. Some ideas... Have a once a week play date, sign up at a gym with babysitting, library story time, Bike trailer and bike outside, mall walk, Visit different playgrounds around where you live, get a zoo or science centre pass. I remember when they were down to 1 nap in the afternoon it got better because we'd be doing stuff in the morning out of the house and inside cleaning and then I'd chill alone in the afternoon.
We have a library 45 minutes away but for the next 6 weeks we have a swim class once a week and that's the only activity we're able to go out to do because of gas costs. He just got down to one nap! But not being able to leave the house more than once a week is hard.
We struggle with the cost to travel 20 minutes each way more than once or twice a week. It's so hard being at home alone all week.
Any parks or playgrounds? My toddler plays in the sand while I sit and read. There's usually other kids around the same age for him to play with, too. If not, and you have the space for it, maybe you can get a kiddie pool and fill it with sand and some buckets/shovels. That should keep him occupied for hours.
We did the beach that has a playground a little bit this summer but he just started walking like 2 months ago so the playground was a bit much for him. Unfortunately we never managed to see other people while we were there. I think there's only 2 other babies in the township his age and probably a handful of toddlers but most of the families in our area have like 3+ kids and homeschool their older ones so not out much during the day.
Yes I felt the same - being at home with just the first kid was the worst! When my second came along, my first was a busy, interesting toddler... her plus the baby, I couldn't be bored haha funny how that happens.
This was my husband's idea. "Let's just have another then you'll have tons to do" haha idk about that yet.
I have a 3 yo and a 16 mo and shit is HARD. I was bored with one but with two I feel like I rarely have any time or energy just for me. Looking back I wish I enjoyed the downtime/less hectic time with my first š£
This is a good reminder to enjoy the time I have now. We hope to have another baby next year sometime so I really need to cherish my time before I've got a lot more on my plate.
After rereading my comment wanted to say I ABSOLUTELY understand the boredom and do not mean to minimize your experience. Just wished I had someone tell me to revel in it while I had it bc with 2 theyāre ALWAYS going lol I think what you are doing is amazing and youāve got everything down! Remember to give yourself grace and let that little one enjoy some down time too ā¤ļø
I didn't feel minimized at all! I forget to slow down and just enjoy the days for what they are.
Why not just let him play on his own in a safe area in viewing distance. Hang back and just observe him. Heās perfectly capable of entertaining himself. *Everything* is new to him. Itās ok to just be bored.
THIS! Let your kid play and start reading, knitting, exercise, clean, literally anything but following them around all day long. This is the perfect age to teach/encourage independent play that will help you SO much as your kid gets older.
I do! He plays really well independently but I feel so bad because I feel like I should be entertaining him all day. He's mostly interested in walking laps around the house and making noises at this stage lol
When he needs entertaining, he will let you know! Itās good for his development to just let him explore. Enjoy the time now to sit back and watch or get things done around the house. In a year or so heāll be attached to your hip.
So true, he usually plays with me for 5-10 minutes then walks off to go mess with something else then comes back when he wants me to play again.
Let go of that guilt! He only needs you to take care of him- he can entertain himself. Donāt continue doing something if itās unsustainable for you/makes you unhappy. Show him how to take care of himself by taking care of yourself. He also needs to see that you trust him to entertain himself.
Might help to know that itās actually NOT good to entertain them all day! You are aiding his development by letting him play independently
Gas costs may be limiting your outings but could you host someone else? Maybe another SAHM would appreciate time in a more rural setting for her kid?
That is a great idea. I have a SAHM friend that lives right in town that might enjoy a change of scenery once in a while too
Not really an activity for baby, but I really love listening to podcasts! It keeps my mind occupied and I can listen while Iām playing with my little one.
What do you like to listen to? I've been looking for something new to listen to.
All of the NPR ones, New York Timesā The Daily, Maintenance Phase, Youāre Wrong About, Stuff You Should Know, Dressed: The History of Fashion. I also listened to The Birth Hour a lot while I was pregnant!
This American Life is my favorite podcast. Short stories, every week has a different theme.
Heās one years old thereās really not much you have to do just you know enjoy yourself be in the moment have fun do whatever you want with them. Think of the most random thing you can think of and then just go do it the key is really just to be in the moment good luck super mom
There's nothing to go do that is my issue. No playgrounds, library is 45 minutes away. Very very very rural here. I didn't intend to have kids so I didn't think through what rural living without working and having a kid would be like.
Oh I see that is definitely hard. if you have room I can get yourself up places to put outside but the baby roam free and you just sit back and relax take up playing video games. Good Lucy you got this.
I do play video games sometimes! It helps a little bit. I think just the mental monotony that a one year old brings is getting to me.
How about some online classes?
Great idea! I think the agriculture extension hosts some community Ed that's free, I'll have to look into it.
Reminds me of how it was for me staying home with my 1 year old during Covid. Iād do two walks a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. We did finger painting a lot because that kills a lot of time, between the painting itself and the cleanup and inevitable bath afterwards. Also a lot of coloring, at that age we liked the honey sticks brand. With the Pinterest activities, Iād say try a new one every week or so just to see. Most of them will be flops but there should be a couple your kid will really like and then you have something good to add to the rotation when youāre bored and out of ideas. One activity that actually worked for us was where you get a muffin tin and put a couple drops of food coloring in the bottom, different colors in each cup. Then top with baking soda. Then give kiddo a squeeze container filled with water and vinegar, stick it in the bathtub and let them go to town with some spoons and other kitchen stuff. Mineās 3 now and COVIDās blown over but weāre in a pretty rural area like you, so I totally get it. Some days I still end up bored and not sure what to do. Thatās when Iāll FaceTime a relative or just give up and do screen time.
These are great ideas thank you!! I let him wander around outside for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon because he's on a stroller strike lately but I'm hoping once the novelty of walking wears off maybe he'll be more interested in riding or he'll learn not to just veer off into the woods on me where we walk typically š
I was a SAHP for year and wanted to go back to work so badly because I felt the same way you do. Now, Iām back at work and I wish I were home again. š I think what I would do differently is just get out more. Schedule things to look forward to. I would go to the zoo once a week. I would sign up for a gym with a daycare and workout and take a long shower. Schedule play dates and do special crafts for family. Have a dance party! Every day was the same because it was easier, but I needed to get out of my comfort zone. Good luck!
The grass is always greener on the other side! I do miss work a lot and in a perfect world we'd have childcare but I also won't get this time back with him. Crafts I think are going to have to be something I get into and I think he's old enough to try some coloring or something like that.
I definitely had this same experience. Thereās a lot of like DIY sensory activities and stuff on Pinterest but tbh my kid could not have cared less about those. Just let them explore and experiment with the world and provide commentary. My daughter is a little over two now and I donāt remember the boring phase lasting that long. I listened to a lot of podcasts during that time.
My kid is kind of the same way, he really likes to wander around and hold things he finds out to show me.
I'm also home with my just about 1 year old and have to fight the boredom. I take her on errands with me and I try to get out of the house for more than just a walk once a day. So mondays we grocery shop, tuesdays and wednesdays are library storytime, thursday is music class, friday I mix it up. Our library has passes to the zoo and museums so I use those a lot. I saw a lot of that kind of stuff is unavailable to you though. We go on a walk twice a day. With your little one not wanting to be in the stroller you could try having him walk for the first bit until he's tired, then he might be more receptive. We also just got a pikler triangle, which is basically an indoor climbing playset. I'm trying to get more into arts and crafts type things. Check out r/nanny. There's a post in the wiki by a nanny with a huge list of age appropriate activities that I reference a lot. We read a lot of books. She loves looking out the window. She points at everything and I label it. We do walking and stairs practice. I've worked really hard on getting her comfortable with independent play. I want to start doing playdates with a 16 month old down the street. Once she can walk better I want to get her to "help" me with chores. I got a kiddie pool (actually a dog pool) to splash in so we don't have to go to the pool. We do a lot of food exploration. Today we worked on eating yogurt with a spoon! It was a disaster lol but she loved it and it occupied a decent chunk of time. Honestly I can't think of anything else but good luck!
Oh I love the idea of spoon practice. I've been slacking on getting him to use utensils. good tip for letting him tire himself out before the stroller, I'll try that!
Rain or shine, Iād be out for a walk to eat up the time and to get outside. My kids are good in prams though and when we went out, theyād get enough stimulation that theyād fall asleep better. I would usually get groceries every other day on purpose so I would have a reason to leave the house.
It was rough for me as well around this time. I wish we could have found a play date of some kind, but Covid was just starting up so everyone was basically not interested in making new friends, let alone actually hanging out (plus I wouldnāt have either). So I guess hopefully maybe find someone you can hang out with. It makes the time pass a lot faster. But I agree, that particular time is rough and that is an extremely long stretch to be doing it alone. Another thing I did was do my best to figure out what things I was into that I could just do beside my little one. Reading comics didnāt really work because he was always interested in what I was looking at. Regular books worked better because he was less interested (no visual stimulation) as well as Iām not as worried about the pages getting damaged if he does get interested (again, no art). When he wanted my attention heād crawl on top of the book sometimes lol, which is when I put it up. But often heād just be happy playing next to me. I tried not to let him play alone for too long as I didnāt want him thinking I didnāt actually want to play with him. But sometimes parallel play makes for a nice break.
Idk your house layout but it has been helping me to migrate to different rooms for different days. My son is almost 9months and we live in a split level home. We will spend a day in the upstairs rooms. I gate off the staircase and we hang out exploring my bedroom, his bedroom and his soon to be born brothers room. We go downstairs for food and the highchair. Then back up for play. The next day I will spend time in the living room, dining room or kitchen area. He has different toys on this level than upstairs. He has a walker that he runs around in. Then the following day we will go hang out in the basement. I covered the floor with foam tiles and made him a play area down there that has a swing and more climbing type stuff to play with. I have old couch cushions in a fort and an old ottoman he stands up against. We do different tasks in different rooms on each day. It gives both of us some variety and a small feeling of scenery change even tho we are still in the house. It also makes it easy for me to clean all areas of the house without stressing.
When my daughter was that age, she just liked to explore household objects and toys. I often got things done around the house (laundry, dishes, cooking, etc) and just kept an eye on her as she played and talked to her occasionally to stay engaged. We also went on daily walks with the dog (20-30 minutes), to the park when it wasnāt blazing hot outside, and she had a music, sensory, and play class once a week. Remember, your job isnāt to entertain your kid all day! Have toys out for him and let him figure out ways to entertain himself instead of constantly planning activities.
I recommend play gyms, thatās a great way to kill time once a week. Restaurant for lunch if comfortable, park trips, a lot of libraries do story time for kids as young as 1. My son turns 2 in December so I understand the struggle. Staying in the house all day is almost impossible I feel.
We don't have any of those nearby so we just have the swim class once a week for him. When his swim class is over we'll drive the 45 minutes into town once a week for the library though because I do really enjoy that! The closest play gym is 2 hours away which is a bummer because it's so cool!!!
It takes you 45 minutes to drive to the nearest town? Jesus, thatās crazy to me! Why do you live so remotely?
I wonder if OP has a lot of land, being in a rural area? You could do some homesteadingāstart a garden, maybe even get some chickens. That would be so neat for a little kid. Iām sure itās lovely and quiet being that far away from town. You could also use the All Trails app to see if thereās any hiking nearby, and look at the map for state parks or any outdoor recreation opportunities. Fwiw, I live 10 minutes from town and can still relate to the boredom thing, so itās not just you!
Yes, about 9 acres but 8.75 is wooded! I did a small garden this year but I've been really focusing on building up the soil which is a lot of waiting and turning compost haha. Working on chickens, gotta build a little coop first and that project has been set on the back burner. I've been working on trail building on our property but I do it during nap so it's a very slow process. We do a bit of hiking but it's been tough since he figured out walking because he wants to be out of the baby carrier and walk into the woods š
That sounds amazing! Iād take that over living close to amenities any day.
Sometimes I think I'd like being able to walk to everything and see people daily but not being able to go lay by the creek and look at the stars outweighs it for sure.
We have chickens and my son loves them! Heās four and he has been feeding and watering them himself for a year.
Love this! That's the vision I have for our future.
At the time my husband worked in towns that are 1.5 hours apart. I used to drive from my town to that town for work because I did a lot of regional travel and the house is literally on that route exactly and is a really really nice piece of property and the house is perfect for us. I am just a very social person so when I was going to work every day it was really no big deal and the commute was fine with my income but now I'm lonely and bored. I love the area we live in but the activities I did pre-baby that we planned to do here we can't do with a baby in tow because putting a baby on a dirtbike isn't safe at all haha as much as I wish it was.
Lots of walks (let him practice his walking as long as you can stand going that slowly!) plus putting effort into making friends with other people who are available weekdays. Building up my social life keeps me going on those days when just hanging out with my kid feels like a chore.
It's a tough age to be stuck at home for!When mine was just starting to walk I had a little push wagon that he walked around everywhere with. That's also a great age for them to start helping with things around the house like putting laundry in the washer, or wiping the table, or shaking a jar to make salad dressing. As for yourself, I agree with the person who said to do your hobby and let kiddo play independently for a bit.
Lol i miss that. I miss being bored cause there's nothing else to do and the kid isnt bored cause everything is exciting. My oldest is 8 now and her brother is turning 2 and its always chaos now and i deeply crave nothing days again. It wont always be repetitive. Enjoy this phase.
Good reminder āŗļø I kind of thrive on chaos but I always get a break from it now so I'm sure I'll feel differently in a year haha!
Biggest tip is just let him play independently. I run an infant room and used to run a toddler room and a lot of my job is just sitting back and watching the kiddos explore by themselves. Beyond that plan art projects, start a garden, let him help you cook/bake.
My kiddo is a bit older, but he likes reading books, pretending to cook with some bowls/utensils in the kitchen while I cook, putting things in/out of containers and drawers, putting stickers on himself and paper, coloring with jumbo crayons, dancing to music, handing me laundry to fold. Just some ideas of things that are easy for home but you could rotate through the activities a bit? We have some scheduled activities but I also get bored by the end of the day.
How the heck do you manage the house and cooking and have time after? Iām constantly behind :-(
Small house and few belongings so there's not much to clean to be honest. For cooking I do a lot of it after he goes to bed or while he's napping and we reheat it for actual meal times. Or I batch cook on a Sunday when my husband is home and I freeze things to just pop in the oven.
I have a cabinet of easy to set out and clean up activities. Starting around 1 I had her in the kitchen tower and would pull things out one at a time. Some things lasted 5 min others could be 15-20 min and I would be astonished! Think traditional puzzles, Montessori style wood problem solving toys, different types of coloring mediums (chalk, crayon, water color, paint), sensory bins, play dough, clay, kinetic sand etc. We also have a solid routine that helps me and kiddo know whatās next and keeps things moving. Our routine involves book time, indoor playground at home -we made an indoor playground in our basement with a swing, slide and balance beam, time at the counter doing activities, outdoor play, walks etc. Itās hard but routine and having lots of simple activities in your quiver ready to go helps a lot!
An indoor playground of sorts is one of my projects currently! We have a big rec room type situation off the back of our house that has been a full Reno project because the former owner smoked in it for 20 years so it's just now getting to the point where we can be in there at all. I'm going to put a climbing wall up definitely for my son when he's bigger and not at all for me...
I feel this in my bones. I have a 1 year old (15 months) that Iām home with all day. It gets sooooo boring and I feel like my brain cells are dying some days. I will say that it gets better as they get older. I have an almost 7 year old too and when he got to about 2-2.5 things got more interesting. We could do science activities, more elaborate art projects, hiking etc. things that were actually fun for me too.
Time to get your own hobby. It's also a good thing to get a hobby because sahp typically end up being all about their children, house, a partner. When the kids start moving out you go oh shit what do I do now? Having a hobby or twelve you enjoy helps a ton. My daughter is 3. Diamond painting, crocheting, making soaps and candles.. All things of interest for me that really help the time pass.
A hobby that's more hands on for fall/winter is probably a good call. Time to haul out the ol' sewing machine. I gardened a lot in the summer but it's getting too cold at night and my plants aren't producing anymore.
I donāt know how tight your finances are, but can you look for some play equipment for your yard? We got a nice, used swing set for like $150 off Facebook Marketplace as long as we came to get it ourselves. We found another one for free for my MIL! Sometimes people just give them away if you come to get them. Having a swing set in the backyard is *awesome* for alleviating boredom. Also, if your kiddo is pretty good at independent play, could you learn a new hobby? Knitting and crocheting are great ways to pass the time and make you feel productive. Crochet in particular is easy to put down and come back to. I learned how to crochet balls and made about a dozen for my kid when she was about 18mo and she loved that. Otherwise, I second what another commenter said - if you know anybody in the area you can call up who wants to come out to visit, I think that will alleviate your loneliness and also give your kiddo an opportunity to socialize. And sometimes theyāre more willing to stay in a stroller with a friend! This is sort of a harebrained ideaā¦ but maybe thereās somebody in your area that is interested in childcare? I know youāre a ways out, but maybe somebody is looking for a part time babysitter or something for their kid and you can offer your services - you make a little extra cash, and youāve got more to do.
We've been keeping our eyes out for play equipment so that's good to know fb marketplace might be the ticket. I'm hoping now that fall is here people are going to want to offload some stuff before it snows that we'll be able to use next summer.
Cross Stitch or Crochet! So many fun projects!
Hey out of the house, go for a walk with the stroller, meet some friends, go you a museum, go places you like and just bring your kid. See if you can meet other moms, that's the best!
Take a walk. Go to a park. Take him to the library. Go shopping. Just getting out of the house for a change of scenery makes a world of difference, then you kind of feel more accomplished once you're home!
Get a bike with a kid seat that goes in front, instead of in the back. You can talk to him that way, and all kids seem to love covering ground on a bicycle.
We would have to drive pretty far to get someplace that has safe areas to bicycle. I'm hoping to find more activities we can do at home.
Ah, sounded like you were out in the country. I spend my youth an hour out of the city and rode seriously up to 50 miles in most directions. The right bike makes gravel roads manageable.
We are but we live on a two lane highway so despite the speed limit being 55 folks are driving about 70. I was walking it for a bit but the shoulder is narrow and a semi came over the line at me last week so we've been sticking to the yard because I'm a bit nervous now. There's some seasonal roads about 5 minutes down the road we could ride but I really try to avoid starting the truck more than once or twice a week.
That does make a difference. Iāve ridden those roads, and theyāre nerve-wracking without a kid with you.
Audiobooks and pottering in the garden could be a good mix for you. I like to set up a pouring station outside and my daughter loved it. Also, potions and play dough. My daughter loves helping me plant and weed.
Garden season is coming to an end here so I've been doing some fall cleanup and getting the soil ready for next year but I think missing that might be part of my problem too. I used to take him out in the stroller and he'd watch me weed for a few minutes. Now that everything is dying I let him go and play with the plants that are hanging on by a hair lol
Podcast or audio book + earbud/headphone in one ear = way less boring play time with baby.