@Kiran
That’s good to hear! I have a colleague who also has a baby, and she seemed surprised that we were spending so much time on the floor. It got me wondering if we were maybe a little nuts? But it sounds like we just have a normal lifestyle with a young baby!
@Hollis
I definitely think it’s a stage of life! Once he’s older, I definitely could see doing hobbies alongside, but none of mine really make sense for that except hiking, which we already do together!
@Kiran
We have finally unlocked hiking with baby! She’s been too small for the hiking pack until recently, but it’s so much fun to be able to do that with her.
Hollis said:
@Kiran
We have finally unlocked hiking with baby! She’s been too small for the hiking pack until recently, but it’s so much fun to be able to do that with her.
Yes! It is so much fun; we are loving it over here too!
I have a 19 month old. From the time he wakes up to the minute he falls asleep, we have to interact with him pretty much constantly.
He does the odd 10 minutes of independent play here and there, but it’s inconsistent. Apart from that, we’re either playing outside, reading, doing puzzles, or he helps with chores or is on my hip while cooking.
He’s not a restful person and always has intense FOMO. That’s why I’m pretty strict with bedtime being no later than 8. My husband and I need a few hours to ourselves.
@Fielder
Oh wow, he sounds like a busy baby! We are protective of our bedtime too - that couple of hours together is precious!
Yes, we give our child all the attention he needs. If he’s clearly content laying down and playing with his toys, we let him be. But if he’s looking around trying to engage with us, we definitely make sure he gets the interaction he’s looking for.
We are in the same situation as you two. Only get to play with him for 2-3 during the work week. On the weekends, we usually alternate naps and playtime to give each other some time to get things done.
@Brady
I’m glad you are doing the same thing! I was starting to feel like we were over-parenting, but I’m not sure that’s even a thing with a baby. We definitely need to do better about splitting time on weekends though.
I’m a SAHM, so it’s a little hard to quantify how much time we spend actively playing. We spend short periods of time interacting all the time. I talk, sing, dance, and make silly faces pretty much all day. I try to spend a couple of active hands-on periods throughout the day. But I also pump frequently still due to my undersupply, so my almost 11 month old also has a lot of independent time. He also watches Ms. Rachel sometimes when I can’t actively get him. I think it’s a good balance, but I always wonder if we aren’t spending enough hands-on time. Mom guilt is hard.
@Devi
Mom guilt is so hard! I sometimes feel silly sitting on the floor when my baby is clearly very happy to be playing on her own - but then I feel guilty leaving her too. It’s not easy to find the balance!
We do the same thing as you! It feels weird when we’re home with our baby and not actively engaging with him. We get a few hours in the morning before daycare and a few hours after work, so it’s usually spent with him unless we are doing some chore. He gets some independent play on the weekends in his activity center.
I do complain that I can’t do stuff for myself, but then always end up engaging with our baby anyways.
Before and after daycare, we try to play with him, but sometimes that just means singing and talking to him while we do dishes or cook. Sometimes it means laying around on the floor while he crawls on us. Weekends, both parents get time off, but I also take the kiddo out with my friends to eat or walk or hang out, so I get some me time with him.
Before he crawled, I would take him to the gym, but that’s not an option anymore! Sometimes when we’re really tired, we watch TV with him, but again, it’s less relaxing now that he’s always on the move.
My LO is 5mo and she likes the independent play, but she wants to be near you. Like she will lay on the couch in her dock-a-tot pillow and play with her toys as long as you are near.
Sometimes I put her in her high chair and put toys on her tray so she can still see me while I do chores around the house. It’s pretty entertaining to her.