How can I keep my 1yr old busy while I do homework for school?

Question

I am a mother of a lil one who is 13 months old she is crawling and walking along the couches and tables in our house. She can be quite the handful when it comes to doing my homework or studying for school...I have done the play pin thingy...study when she sleeps...toys and books to try to keep her busy BUT...they only keep her busy for only a few mintues....and the play pin thingy she crys because she wants to get out...I can't get her away from tearing my books and papers up....I just want to know if anyone had this senario and maybe had another answer on what worked for them...So mothers I need your help..p.s. My husband works during the day and I go to school at night so going to the library is out for now...If anyone has any answers please feel free to let me know...thanks 2 everyone who answers....

Can't afford a babysitter...sorry guys...an I'm a college student

Answer 1

My mother used a variable sized gate to keep the babies off the staircase. She would let them roam around on the first floor, but knew that they could easily fall off the stairs and hit their heads on the marble floor at the foot of the staircase. If you can build a quarantine are where it is safe for your child to play, by walling it off, then you can worry less about her. If it is in the living area then you could be in there with her, and she won't feel so lonely. In effect you will create a super playpen.

My mother did always call the television set the one-eyed babysitter. There are some morning shows that appeal to children, especially if you have cable or satellite TV.

Do you have any friends with children? Maybe you can join forces and watch each other’s kids while you are studying, or your friend is doing something else. I will bet that someone else in your classes are having similar problems. You can take turns responding to the children. Do you know someone who is doing in-home day care? If so then maybe you can try out that option. Even if you have to pay, it will be cheaper than trying to get a nanny. I figure a nanny is NOT an option or you would have hired one by now.

Can you get childcare support? If you are in school talk with your financial aide department to see if you can get some help to pay someone to watch her. Is there a daycare option through your husband’s work? Even if you only use it for half the day, that is a lot of time if you use it wisely.

You could pay a neighbor child to help. They can’t come in until after school, and will have to go home by dinnertime, but you might get 2 hours of relief. Let the child watch TV or do something else (no video games, they take too much attention) while they are watching the child. It would be worth it to even let the child talk on the phone for an hour, as long as she responded to your baby. Can you get another adult to help? It is a cliché for grandmother to help with the childcare, but she would be doing it for a good reason.

A dog can be a handful sometimes, but there are breeds that get along well with children. If you rescue one then it won’t cost much. The dog can be put in the quarantine area where she can play with it. A puppy wouldn’t be good, nor would an old dog, but a young playful dog could help. You have to walk the dog though, which means taking your baby with you, but you can use a study break now and then.

I know it hurts, but sometimes you need to teach your child limits. If you respond every time she cries then she is training you. If she is not hurt, then you could let her cry for a while, until she realizes that you aren’t coming to her beck and call. Babies, and children always test their boundaries, and try to see what they can get away with. So some of her crying could be put down to this. Along those lines, I don’t like hitting children, but if you slapped her hand when she reached for your books and papers it would teach her to not do that. Yes, she will cry, but all babies cry, and she IS DEMANDING your total attention. You can’t afford to do that for the rest of her life so you need to set limits now. Make sure your husband does the same or you will end up alienating her later, and set up dad to get wrapped around her little finger.

Just before going into High School my parents had two more children. Since they were going to have to put 3 children through college in 4 years (and one year after that for each of my sisters), they both had to work. It was up to us to pick up the slack. So I know some things about taking care of babies. I was a young teenager and pretty self-centered so I don’t know what she did during the daytime, but I know my sisters and I spent their summer vacations watching the kids. Since my parents owned the flower shop were my mother worked she could take long periods off from work while we were at school. I also know that she was at work and had my baby brother that afternoon; so she was a tough hard working person. Dad never helped out with the babies, but then he worked all day and did the books, billing, and other paperwork for the flower shop at night.

Since you can’t get children to help during school hours, you might be forced to only take summer school classes, or drop your course load. You could also put off school until your child was older and better able to take care of herself. I would like you to succeed, but family comes first. I think that going back to school to better yourself is an admirable thing to do, but your baby is your major job, and since your husband works you have to take care of her. I wish I had some more ideas; hopefully this, and the other responses, will inspire you to think of something that will help.

Answer 2

Try putting her in a walker. The kind that lets her roll around the house. It will still let her explore the house, but also keep her out of too much trouble. The only problem with that is, most of the ones they make now-a-days are the ones that don't actully move. You might have to go to a second hand store or find a garage sell. But they work wonders.. Good luck!

Answer 3

When I babysit for my neice and need to get stuff done I read to her from the books I have to read...make your voice exciting, like you would if you were reading "the Cat in the Hat"
Make sure you keep your books and papers on the table or at the desk so she can't get her little hands on them...Have lots of toys that are age appropriate...like something were you put balls in and they come out in different places.
I have also made "paint" that is edible by using pureed foods and I take her outside and give her a paint brush...
Give her a bath...let her play while you read....lots of water toys...just don't leave her alone!
Have Fun! She will become independent soon!

Answer 4

Go to the library and rent great childrens videos. My library has tons of them. Many of them have to be reserved online because there is a waitlist. Also if she likes a tv show, you can tape it and replay it.

Don't feel too badly about doing this. The degree you are working for offsets any possible harm that comes from watching too much television. My children watched a lot of Barney and Arthur and they are wonderful kids. They don't watch television at all nowdays. They are one-three years ahead in school. So don't worry!!!

Answer 5

Make sure she gets plenty of attention, play with her games and that like ball take her out in the fresh air in a park and let her run about a bit, or go to a mums and tots group, if you have them in america, if she gets plenty of exercise and mental stimulation from playing and mixing with other kids it will wear her out and she may have a sleep for a few hours, do your work on a high table and try to do it, put tv programmes on for little ones. It hard but they do sleep in the daytime if they get enough exercize, good luck.

Answer 6

Coordinating your homework with times when your baby should be taking a nap is the best solution.
Babies love structure and if you put her down at exactly (I mean exact) time every single day the baby will actually get tired at that same time automatically. Putting her to asleep will also become painless because she knows its coming. Think of a ritual you can do when it is time for her nap. For example she always gets a book read to her when it is time for a nap and then you put her down. Reading a book is a good choice because it typically settles them down and also gives you quality time with her...
If she cries when its time for her nap then you leave her and eventually she will fall asleep. The crying will become shorter and shorter if you are consistent. If you break from the structure the process starts over again...

Let us know how it works out...

Answer 7

Get the non toxic crayons, my daughter loves the aqua doodle with Thomas, when you make the marks on the mat the train follows them. Try a magna doodle, get some mega blokes, or the magnet fishing game so she can fish, get a family member or friend to come and play with her while you study, or find a play group or a daycare for a couple of hours that's what I did with my son so he would have other children to interact with.

Answer 8

I think it is okay to let your child know that there are time when mommy needs to left alone and I think at your little ones age she can start to get that. With my son when I needed him out of my hiar for a bit I would put him in his playpen with some toys, or in his highschiar with stuff like playdough or crayons, even finger foods. If he got fussy for reasons not involved with hunger, sleepiness, or needed to be clean I would put him up in his room. Be really nice about it, give them a hug, tell them you love them but let them know mommy needs some space. When I am at my wits end I will send my little guy to his room for a bit so I can have a break. He sometimes cries for a bit but he'll quiet down soon. Worked for me. Plus I think it made him more independant.

Answer 9

i know since you're in school money may be a problem, but as a babysitter i have been called to do the "mother's helper" thing. You can stay home, work on your work, and have the babysitter occupy the baby. Plus, since you're home, you don't have to pay much, I think I charge $2-3/hr.

Answer 10

I have a son who is just as busy and is almost 1. My suggestion would be to invest in a playpen because the attention span of a one yr old is very short so no matter what you present the child . My playpen works great!!