What do you DO all day with a 1 year old?! - updated

JSS1002

So, hopefully this will get better once the weather in Mpls continues to improve, but what the hell do you do all day with a 1 year old who is not yet walking!?

Day started at 6 AM.  We got up, ate breakfast, played for a while and around 8 AM went for a walk - home around 9, took a bath, played, then he took a LONG nap -- from like 10-12:30... lunch, and now we've just been hanging out all day, playing with toys, throwing tantrums, etc.  I have been to the Mall of America to walk so many times this winter that I want to vomit just thinking about going back, and there is seriously nothing else to do.  We don't have him watch TV, and his second nap was only about 40 minutes.  

I foolishly grocery shopped during his nap (should have waited until he was awake and left him home wiht DH so that I got a break!), we've read books, had music time, etc... 

Husband and I are ready to lose our minds.  \

Thanks for all the suggestions ladies - I just signed J up for swimming, which starts on Saturday, and the location is walking distance from our house . So that will be a good little Saturday morning activity for us - walk there (when weather allows), half an hour in the pool, walk home, snack, nap... and then this weekend, we have plans on Sunday for mother's day.  It's an 8 week class and I missed the first week last week but they pro-rated.. so great timing!

shadysladyWed98470

I don't know if this will be much help, but since I am a teacher, I will be staying home with E over the summer and worry about the same thing you are facing now. My hope is to try something each day of the week. For example, zoo on Monday (we have a membership), library on Tuesday, walking on Wednesday, park on Thursday, meet with friends or play date on Friday, etc. not sure how this will pan out, but I'm going to give it a try to avoid the same ol boring day to day. On the weekends I feel the same way since my husband works, so there are times I put E in his crib to play with a few toys, for 15-20 minutes so I can have a few minutes alone. Plus I think it good that he learns to play alone sometimes. Here lately I have even put him in his booster seat with kitchen tools to play around with. Good luck, I know the feeling.

LifesGoodMom

We also plan something for each day of the week and have a membership to an indoor play space that we go to when we can't go to the park. Monday - park, Tuesday - library, Wednesday - music class, Thursday and Friday - park. We also go to the book store or out to lunch/picnic if we are bored. Our day goes breakfast and play, nap, activity outside the house and lunch, nap, play then dh comes home. Weekends we have no schedule and run errands, go to gym, go on family walks, to the zoo, whatever. If we don't structure our days or go out for any reason we can get bored though.

MsAmeera25

Get a Gymboree or Mygym membership it will save your life. Also Barnes & Noble has story time everyday so check out your local one Ethan loves it and will actually sit still. Other than that indoors he has a tunnel, 3 different play areas so like PP he thinks the toys are new we shop, ppl watch etc. 

danuli8

DS loves to sit with me at our living room picture window and watch what's happening outside. We look at the squirrels, birds, cars going by, people walking, etc. We live on a fairly quiet dead-end street but it still seems to have enough going on to keep him interested for 15-20 minutes at a time!

ceamac0127

All I know is I would be a broke joke if I was a SAHM. I would be at target, the mall, aquariums etc everyday because I am the same way. I hate feeling cooped up

arschm02

Will played in the dirt (ate dirt) all day today while I tried making our new flower garden. Most days are just a crap chute and I wing it.

BellaBean76

I go to the gym every morning after she eats breakfast so she gets an hour play date, then we usually do something after lunch (grocery store, target, etc) and then after her afternoon nap we go for a walk with the dog and play until dinner. If I don't get out u would go NUTS.

JSS1002

MsAmeera25 said:

Get a Gymboree or Mygym membership it will save your life. Also Barnes & Noble has story time everyday so check out your local one Ethan loves it and will actually sit still. Other than that indoors he has a tunnel, 3 different play areas so like PP he thinks the toys are new we shop, ppl watch etc. 

Good call about Barnes and Noble.  THe issue I'm having is that all the library activities are during the workday.  Gee thanks for thinking of those of us who work outside the home.  I think once it is nicer out it will be easier -- we can go to the park more, the zoo, the arboretum, etc... he just has SO much energy and I feel like I'm not doing enough with him right now over the weekends... both for his energy level, and my own sanity.  

I think we'll probably get a zoo membership because hot damn it's like $20 per person to get in.  There is a free zoo in St. Paul, outdoors, but when it is too cold out, the animals aren't very visible.

ETA: the BnN near us has storytime at 11 AM every Saturday. Thank you!!!  I'm also gonna sign him up for music classes and swimming lessons at some point, maybe I should start swimming now...

JBDamonM

I definitely know this feeling all too well. We had several brutal snow days like this over the winter, and I confess - during those days I totally wished she watched movies, just so I could kill some time. We started swimming lessons two weeks ago and are loving it! The best part about it is that it finally got us on a weekend schedule - something I failed to do for months on end. It's a great break in the day. Also, my husband gets up with here every weekend morning and they go for a drive (amongst other things).....this helps me because I don't start my day until late am

MsAmeera25

I think he will like storytime they read a few books and then the kids socialize or do an activity. My store has an infant area and its super colorful he loves it.

skidderdo

Whether it is me or the nanny, a typical day goes like this: wake up around 7-7:30, breakfast, playtime and reading or music at home, then morning nap. Lunch, then a "out of the house" activity- we take advantage of all the free shit in the DC area plus bought a membership to the acquarium (museums, zoo, arboretum, playgrounds, interactive fountain, library, indoor swimming pool, etc). If it is nice out the playground can kill a lot of time. We also have a big play area in our building when the weather is crappy. I recently discovered a few "playseums" which are just giant places with lots of different toys and dress up and play stations. Afternoon nap is around 2-3 and if we are lucky he sleeps 1.5-2 hours. We take a walk before I prep for dinner- dinner he gets "free play" time (aka get into shit and make a mess in the kitchen). Finally it's dinner, bath, books, bedtime, bam!

JSS1002

Grace0609 said:

Wow this post makes me feel kinda bad that I have no idea what I do with my 1 year old all day! He tags along but nothing we do is FOR him. I did Gymboree classes with ds1 and when we had ds2 I was still planning outings for the kids. But not anymore. Our outings usually consist of doctors appointments or dentist appointments or such fun things! Oh well. The kids don't seem to mind. All they want to do is play together outside. Thank God the weather is finally getting warm enough to do that!! We had to just give up and let them dig up our landscaping in one area bc they just HAVE to dig and transfer mulch and dirt in their dump trucks and wheelbarrows. Ah. Boys.

Grace, I think if it were nicer out, or he was walking, or if he had siblings already, we probably wouldn't sweat it that much.  But it's sort of the perfect storm of boredom and cabin fever over here when he's up at 6 AM and we don't have much to do, and he isn't walking yet so the park is only fun for like 10 minutes.  Just makes for a long two days in a row.

ClandestineX

Well, for one day out of a week he will attend a class (swim or gymnastics). On a regular day, right now, we play in the living room and we walk around outside in the morning. Since right now in Cali it is around 90 (luckily for the past two days it has been 75) we stay in and he just plays with his toys while I clean up. 

If I am being the chauffeur then he tags along with me and get out and walk around where ever we are stopped. (Library, Federal building, store, etc.) During the cool hours we walk to the little gas station a few blocks away and get something like a pack of gum or an energy drink. 

When I go back to WV, we will be taking walks along the country road and see all the farm animals during the cool hours. At home he will play with his toys and sing/read. One day a week we will go to his classes out there, whatever they might be.

bumpuser5078523

Logan isn't walking either. It makes it hard.

Honestly, I get him to play with his toys as long as possible. I kinda feel bad about that, but there isn't much to do here when it's crappy out.

I want to go swimming with him more. I think we are going to ask for a swim membership for Christmas. Instead of a ton of toys we don't need.

JSS1002

doeie04 said:

Logan isn't walking either. It makes it hard. Honestly, I get him to play with his toys as long as possible. I kinda feel bad about that, but there isn't much to do here when it's crappy out. I want to go swimming with him more. I think we are going to ask for a swim membership for Christmas. Instead of a ton of toys we don't need.

Srsly. He's more enamored with a water bottle and a couple of spoons than any toy we've ever owned.  

elbou

JSS1002 said:

doeie04 said:

Logan isn't walking either. It makes it hard. Honestly, I get him to play with his toys as long as possible. I kinda feel bad about that, but there isn't much to do here when it's crappy out. I want to go swimming with him more. I think we are going to ask for a swim membership for Christmas. Instead of a ton of toys we don't need.

Srsly. He's more enamored with a water bottle and a couple of spoons than any toy we've ever owned.  

This is the whole reason I said (back around Christmas) that I would not have bought him anything if I could get away with it (i.e. not spoil Santa Claus for the 11, 6, and 4 year olds that were with him Christmas morning).

Does James like to play by himself much? DS does a lot of his own entertaining when his sisters are at school. He'll sit in the living room and play with his toys while I'm cooking or doing dishes in the kitchen, or run/walk in circles around the kitchen table. He always gets a kick out of it, even when I'm not chasing him. (I know James isn't walking yet, but it's a fun crawling game too!) I'm trying to think what else we typically do, but I'm drawing a blank...let you know tomorrow, maybe, haha.

kelsea1031

We do a lot of the things already mentioned and she has big sister to help entertain, so that works in my favor. We spent a lot of time at home this winter since it was just brutally cold all.the.time, so on those days and rainy days or whatnot, I try to mix things up with a new activity or two. I use productiveparenting.com. They have tons of age-appropriate activities. Some of them are are worthless but I've found quite a few that have kept the girls occupied and engaged.

bumpuser5078523

I swear Logan plays with everything BUT his toys is of the day!

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JSS1002

CoffeeMonster19 said:

Having an older sibling in the house helps for sure. They entertain each other and whenever we do activities that are geared more toward James, Anna gets something out of it too. Anna is also really good at playing by herself, moving around from the living room to the play room pulling toys out, looking out the window, etc. James' first summer he wasn't yet one but we spent a lot of time at the pool, we did a kindermusik class with a friend, story time at the library, and play dates with friends.

I spent a lot of time last night looking up kindermusik clases, swimming lessons, and even a gym that does little tumbling classes (but not until 18 months so we have a ways to go), and some local story time events, etc.  This next weekend with mother's day we have plans on Sunday (to visit our moms), so that will help, but I'm going to sign up for swimming lessons that start on Saturday, so that will help... 

JSS1002

elbou said:

JSS1002 said:

doeie04 said:

Logan isn't walking either. It makes it hard. Honestly, I get him to play with his toys as long as possible. I kinda feel bad about that, but there isn't much to do here when it's crappy out. I want to go swimming with him more. I think we are going to ask for a swim membership for Christmas. Instead of a ton of toys we don't need.

Srsly. He's more enamored with a water bottle and a couple of spoons than any toy we've ever owned.  

This is the whole reason I said (back around Christmas) that I would not have bought him anything if I could get away with it (i.e. not spoil Santa Claus for the 11, 6, and 4 year olds that were with him Christmas morning).

Does James like to play by himself much? DS does a lot of his own entertaining when his sisters are at school. He'll sit in the living room and play with his toys while I'm cooking or doing dishes in the kitchen, or run/walk in circles around the kitchen table. He always gets a kick out of it, even when I'm not chasing him. (I know James isn't walking yet, but it's a fun crawling game too!) I'm trying to think what else we typically do, but I'm drawing a blank...let you know tomorrow, maybe, haha.

He does, and I'm grateful for that - I can hand him a pile of toys and he's happy, but the way our house is laid out, it is hard to get anything else done while he's playing - basically our living room is "lofted" so I can't see him from the kitchen.  Which is fine because we have the baby gate closed, except he always seems to find something to get into. :-)  

Yesterday with not great naps and an early wake-up just felt really really long.

JSS1002

clgsquared said:

5 weeks is what I have off this summer. 1 of those weeks we are going to Long Beach Island.  2 days out of the week he is going to school.  A friend of mine is organizing a few play dates. When I see rain in the forecast, I shudder.

Entertaining the littles is a tough business.

And maybe it would be SLIGHTLY better if I wasn't pregnant (ie, exhausted and moving around is getting difficult), because seriously if I have to get up one more time and take something away from him, I might lose it.  I have never been happier to leave him at daycare this morning (EXCEPT that this morning he was super adorable and snuggly and that made me want to stay home all day).

TuckleUp

The weather isn't great here yet, either, but as long as it's not snowing or raining, we're outside at some point. Walks in the wagon, rather than the stroller, are a huge hit.

Like @danuli8 said, looking out the window is always a good way to pass some time. If there is an indoor play place or children's museum nearby, get yourself to it, stat. Even without walking, there will be plenty for James to do, and just watching other kids is a great distraction.

Indoors, playing with an empty laundry basket or diaper box provides a lot of fun. I stuffed some baby wash cloths in an empty wipes container, and he loves pulling them out one by one.

TuckleUp

I meant to add....you won't have time to be bored once he's walking

JSS1002

TuckleUp said:

I meant to add....you won't have time to be bored once he's walking

I know, I regret even saying that.  

JSS1002

clgsquared said:

JSS1002 said:

clgsquared said:

5 weeks is what I have off this summer. 1 of those weeks we are going to Long Beach Island.  2 days out of the week he is going to school.  A friend of mine is organizing a few play dates. When I see rain in the forecast, I shudder.

Entertaining the littles is a tough business.

And maybe it would be SLIGHTLY better if I wasn't pregnant (ie, exhausted and moving around is getting difficult), because seriously if I have to get up one more time and take something away from him, I might lose it.  I have never been happier to leave him at daycare this morning (EXCEPT that this morning he was super adorable and snuggly and that made me want to stay home all day).

Mine was the same way.  What gives?  Normally he pushes me away like "I got this mom"...today he totally cuddled.

Same - he's actually been doing that a lot more lately after his morning bottle and before bed. It's really sweet.  Totally my favorite part of the day.

camdensmom32

I'm totally jealous if all of you that live in places where there are things to go do. I live in a small town (population 600) and there is nothing to do. Cam and I either play in the house or go outside for a walk. Gets boring fast.