Hellobee Boards Topic: How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?

Hellobee Boards Topic: How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:46:12 +0000 BabyBoecksMom on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-520092 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:06:37 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 520092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Honestly, I don't really "play" with her much. She's so independent and always has been, except for the first few months. We do interact with her quite a bit, but she prefers to investigate things on her own. If she wants to include us, she'll bring something to us, judge our reaction and then go back to playing. Of course, we always keep her in our sights to make sure she's not in any danger ;-) sera_87 on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519505 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:05:50 +0000 sera_87 519505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I'd say 80-90% I play with him and the rest is I put him in his exersaucer to do chores, run to the bathroom, get a drink/eat, etc. Except today. The exersaucer is doing the majority of the work today. I am far too tired to function after 2 rough nights. MaisyMay on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519416 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:31:49 +0000 MaisyMay 519416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DD is 4 weeks old, and for us, awake time is usually feeding and tummy time. Her last wake up before bed also has bath time and snot sucking involved. Most of our playing is "look how cute you are" and "can mommy nap now?" Mrs. Pen on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519415 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:31:08 +0000 Mrs. Pen 519415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ A LOT. I am a SAHM, DS is 11 months. He hardly ever plays by himself. If he does play on his own, it's with me sitting with him the whole time. I concur - I get bored too! In the summer it was nice, we could go for walks and leave the house. But in these subzero temps we don't do much. littlecasita1122 on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519411 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:28:41 +0000 littlecasita1122 519411@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My son is 7 months old and I'm a WAHM (only work 15 hours a week, though), so I get plenty of time with him. When he first wakes up in the AM we will play on the floor for an hour - I show him toys, stuffed animals and follow his lead as to what he wants to play with. Then for his next awake time, he plays on his own or hangs out in his jumper for 30 minutes or so while I do a couple chores and make lunch. Then I will play with him again for another hour and read a couple stories before his next nap. My husband watches him in the afternoons and can't think of as much stuff to do with him, so he takes him out a lot - to do errands, go to the park or mall to walk around. In the evenings before bedtime, we will play with him again. So I guess in a typical day, I'd say 75% of the time we play with him, the other 25% he plays on his own. The most helpful suggestion I received was to set up different "stations" in your house. So we have a play station in the living room (where most of his toys are and a play mat), some toys/books in his bedroom, and he will also sit in his high chair and plays with some toys for a bit. I move him from station to station after 30 minutes to give us new scenery. winniebee on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519339 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:54:54 +0000 winniebee 519339@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My son is 8 months old and has 3 hr awake periods and I do a mix - sometimes he is in his jumper or walker, but more often I'm playing or interacting with him. Lots of our time is spent practicing new skills - practice standing and walking He just learned how to crawl and so we practice that too. I give him bait to crawl to and help him with his more advanced toys. We go for walks, etc. I also WOH and don't have as much time with him so try to interact when he is awake. travelgirl1 on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519336 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:53:51 +0000 travelgirl1 519336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ She's 11 weeks and every awake time we feed, then she goes in her bouncer where I sing to her and play tactile games with her, or songs like Insey Winsey Spider where we touch her and she LOVES it. We move toys in front of her and make up stories for her in her bouncer too. When she's bored of that we move her onto her play mat and chat to her, move the animals on the bar for her until she gets tired. I love playing with her, her reactions are so rewarding. We also need her to kick her legs a lot so her hips get better, so we need to get her excited a lot! Bao on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519318 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:41:51 +0000 Bao 519318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I stay home too, so the 11 hours I am home alone with her, there is really only so much I can think of to do. I admit I will let her play on her play mat alone, or in her jumper, bouncy or swing. She entertains herself well. I do my best to play with her, but she is almost 5 months old so there's only so much playing I can do with her. Also, if I need to make myself food, or clean the bathroom I have to I leave her for a minute. I do feel guilty sometimes but can't possibly sit there with her during her entire wake time. I think I would go crazy, I need time to do other things around the house, and for myself too. She gets lots of mommy time :) pelikila on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519311 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:37:36 +0000 pelikila 519311@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DH has always been better at playing with our son than I have been. He turns 2 next month. We encourage independent play as much as possible and when that stops working for him, we join in or change locations (go for a walk, trip to the zoo, throw a ball for the dog), or change activities (read books, trains vs. farms, drawing, etc). DH will let our son sit on him, will chase him, practice random sounds, etc. and I'm better at snuggling, reading books, explaining/talking, and dancing and singing. Sometimes we buy new toys because we (DH and I) are tired of them. It does get more fun but sometimes you still might get a little bored. buffalove on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519310 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:36:54 +0000 buffalove 519310@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My LO is also 6 months, and I agree that it's hard sometimes to really "play" with him since he's not quite sitting on his own yet. He's active so he's not content to sit and read unless he's tired. So lately I take a big execise ball, stand him up, and we bounce it together then roll it towards the couch so it comes right back to us...he thinks this is hysterical! Then I put him belly-down on the ball and roll him around on it (the bonus to this is that it's a modified version of tummy time). I'd love to hear other ideas of how to play with your child at this age. cranberryapple on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519301 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:33:15 +0000 cranberryapple 519301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @mediagirl: I understand that since you work, then of course you'd wanna spend a lot of time with your LO! :) I'm a SAHM, so I get to spend plenty of time with him....LOL. But, funny enough, DH feels the same way as I do. He's happy to interact with him for half an hour in the morning before he goes to work, and then half an hour before DS goes to sleep, and he says that's the perfect amount of time for him at this point! I guess lately it seems like DS is getting more and more fussy over things, whereas in the past, he would only be fussy if he was tired. Guess he's developing his own personality, although I hope "fussiness" is not one of those traits! =P rachiecakes on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519300 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:33:12 +0000 rachiecakes 519300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DS loves to play on his own and I used to feel bad about it but now I know that it's important for him to learn/grow. Since I'm a WOHM, I try to play with him until he goes to bed. We play puzzles and dance, play with his stuffed animals, read books. DH works from home and between his meals and naps, I know that DS plays on his own for an hour here or there during the day. littlek on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519288 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:29:48 +0000 littlek 519288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My LO is almost 8 months old and when I'm home with him, I try and be very involved since I work and don't get to spend that much time with him. I'll either sit on the floor with him and play or if he is in his jumperoo, I'll talk and sing to him. I like to sing "Jump Jump" by Kris Kross while he's in his jumperoo.. mediagirl on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519266 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:16:32 +0000 mediagirl 519266@https://boards.hellobee.com/ She's 7 months and since she was able to sit up on her own, we have been playing with her pretty much whenever she is awake - 3-4 hour stretches. Sometimes she plays on her own in her jumper thing but I like interacting with her. Yes, it can be boring but I try to remember I only have so much time with her and that helps me stay in the zone with her. I work weekdays so, when I'm with her, I try to be on. If I'm bored, I'll roll a ball to her and she will sometimes accidentally hit it back to me. Or I'll read a book to her (I'll find one I like). :) cranberryapple on "How Much Do You Actually Play With Your LO?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-actually-play-with-your-lo#post-519261 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:13:15 +0000 cranberryapple 519261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ How old is your LO and what does a typical awake period look like for you? How much of that time is spent playing/interacting with your LO, and how much time is independent playing time? What activities do you do together? For me, my LO is stretching his awake times to 2+ hours, and sometimes, I admit, I get bored with doing the same old things with him! He's only 6 months so he's not mobile yet. I assume he'll get "funner" in the future, but in the mean time, I feel I have a problem entertaining myself and also him!