what to do during the day???

Question

hi. i am a first time mom and never had alot of experience with kids before. my little girl is 6 weeks old and sometimes i don't know what i should be doing with her during the day. is it ok to carry her around alot or should i be trying to put her own and play with her on her play mat. some books scare you into thinking that you should be doing all these activities with them even when they are really little.

Answer 1

I started playing with my guy that young... You'll be surprised that they become more alert quicker by doing this... It also helped me because I too just didn't know what to do with him. It helped me become more comfortable with him, and made me happy when I realized that he was started to like it and interact with him more. Also he's 4 months now and doctors are ALWAYS telling me that he's WAY more advance to other babies his age... So it's nice but at that age they get bored easily so carry her around sometimes (talking to her about what you're doing, etc.) and play sometimes... check out babycenter.com for some games to play with her... I know sometimes it seems wierd trying to play with a baby... Good luck to you both

Answer 2

Do whatever you feel comfortable with. At 6 weeks, she should be starting to smile at you or getting ready to. Carry her around and put her down on her own so she doesn't end up clingy later on. Best book I've found is What to Expect the First Year. Can find it fairly cheap on ebay. I used it for all 3 of my girls. Very informative unbiased book-won't scare you, gives lots of ideas and games to play for certain ages.

Answer 3

Honestly, at that age, they still sleep most of the day. The best interaction for them at that age is when you are feeding them and changing their diapers. You have their attention at that time.

When my son was two months, he could smile at you, but mostly they just want to be held.

At 4 months, they can play a little and stay up more, but overall, they are still sleeping alot.

My son is 5 months now and he stays up for about 9 hours during the entire day. There are lots of naps going on, but the amount of time that he stays awake at most is for 2 or 3 hours at a stretch.

You'll know when she wants to play. Just let her sleep and grow. At 6 weeks, she should be hitting a big growth spurt this week and should sleep all the time.

Answer 4

I have twins and when the were newborns I put them on a mat that I purchased. The mat in a big Pooh Bear and it has long X-shaped fabric covered poles that connect to it at his hands and feet. It has Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet hanging from it. They would stare at them and try to reach for them. It helped with there eye/hand coordination. My babies spent a lot of time on this mat. They are 21 months old now. They are doing great.

Answer 5

I have 4 kids, the youngest of whom is 7 months. The first one got all kinds of attention from Day One. I carried him everywhere, showed him videos designed for little babies starting at about 3 months, showed him books and toys, etc... He is turning out fine. (He's 7 now.) However let me mention that when my younger kids were born, I was unable to give so much one-on-one attention. Gone were the tiny baby videos, since the older kid/s tended to control the TV. If the baby was content in the swing or on the floor, I was happy for the break. Don't get me wrong - I pay them all attention. They're not neglected. But my point is that they all seem to be doing fine - the ones who had to share my attention early on and the one who had ALL of my attention early on. I don't think you should feel obligated to entertain her constantly or hold her constantly. Interact with her however much feels right and I am sure you'll do just fine! If you feel obligated to interact with her for her every waking moment you'll burn out!

Answer 6

It's okay to carry her around .... some, but not a lot. Let her play and have some "kiddy" fun. If you restrict her from playing, trying to learn to crawl and eventually walk now, it'll be harder for her when she gets older. A six year old needs to keep the bones & cartilidges stronger (as they form into bone tissue). If you don't let her play on her own, it may damage the ability to walk as she ages. Sure, you may have to "baby-proof" areas. As far as restriction goes,use those baby gate things to keep her in a certain room.
Of course "rest time" is also needed at this age.

Answer 7

I feel for you. I went through the same thing.

We spent our days going outside and walking when the weather was good. We'd go to the mall and walk on bad days. I stuck to my usual routines and took her everywhere with me. While in the grocery store, I'd ask her what we should have for dinner (yes, she was an infant) and I'd ask her her opinions.
While at home we'd lay on the floor and have tummy time, or I'd hold her and we'd nap together.
But mostly I talked to her in a NORMAL voice, no baby talk.
I now have a 7 yr old 2nd grader who reads at a 5th grade level with equal comprehension. She has a love of words and the English language, and wants a thesaurus for Christmas.
Follow your instincts. You WILL do ok.

Answer 8

Play with her and talk to her all the time. You will be amazed on how alert your baby is. You can even read her books.

Answer 9

personally, my son was with me almost all of the time b/c i was scared to leave him alone. but then i realized i needed some me time & that he was fine on a playmat... but that was when he was able to hold his head up on his own & when he was able to be inquizitive on his own. (about 4 or 5 months old)

I subscribed to this website when i found out i was pregnant & its helped me through so much! it still helps me today with my son being almost 3.

Answer 10

do what your mommy heart feels. if you want to hold her and cuddle her ----do it. she is at a precious age and besides that ,they grow so fast. so, enjoy!
yes,there are little activities or just lay her on a blanket to look around. if the weather is nice, go for a walk. go to the mall and stroll around. talk to her while you are working around the house. just don't ignore her.