Fussy baby

kleigh926 · October 2013

I have posted here before about DD's fussiness, but I've been especially frustrated with her the past couple of weeks. She went through a stage of extreme fussiness/crying from about 1 week to 8-10 weeks old (I can't remember exactly when it started to get better). Then she was overall pretty pleasant for a few months, as long as she got enough sleep. She was still pretty hard to keep entertained though- she would get bored easily.

Well, ever since she learned to crawl the fussiness has gotten exponentially worse. She just wants to crawl all the time when she's awake. That would be fine, except she gets into EVERYTHING she's not supposed to- electrical cords behind the computer desk, the dog toys, the trash can, shoes, the dog's water dish. She couldn't care less about her toys, she just wants the stuff she can't have. Then she gets mad at me when I move her away or take the "bad" stuff away. So eventually I give up and put her in her high chair, walker, or play pen. She doesn't like that either because she wants freedom.

I'm just pretty much at my wits' end for keeping her happy at home. She's fine when we go out. New things to look at, new places to crawl around in, new people to see. But when it's just her and I at home (and sometimes DH), she is almost impossible to keep happy. I'm really getting irritated with all the fussing. I guess this is mostly just a vent, but if anyone has advice, suggestions, or even just commiseration that's great too.

Puck1182 · October 2013

Do you have a kitchen cabinet that you can fill with household items for her to play with? Like Tupperware and measuring cups and such? Then she might be interested because it's grown-up stuff for her to play with. You could periodically swap out the items to keep it interesting. I know I always had my own kitchen cabinet full of thinks I was allowed to play with and my mom said it kept me pretty happy. I plan to do the same with DD.

Drea926 · October 2013

Puck's suggestion is a good one. If I'm cooking or putting dishes away I usually give DS "his tupperware" and a plastic spatula and he'll actually stay put crawling around in the kitchen. We also recently set up one of those larger play yards (makes the shape of a hexagon). He tolerates that longer since he still has more freedom to move. We're going to buy another set and extend once he becomes a cruiser/walker.

Also, when you take her away from something she shouldn't have, do you quickly replace it with something that she can have? That's what we do with DS since he LOVES computer wires. He actuals squeals with delight when he spots them and then beelines it. :P

When he's particularly rambunctious and not interested in toys I try to play peekaboo or clap and sing but really that only kills like 15 minutes!

I feel like my suggestions are kind of weak so I apologize! She sounds like a fiesty little gal which I'm sure while wonderful, can be quite frustrating!

ETA - DS also has recently been interested in trucks that move. He'll push them (sort of) around the floor but it's a good distraction! And girls can play with trucks too!!

kleigh926 · October 2013

@Drea926, I don't think they're weak suggestions. It's hard to come up with ideas for babies who are difficult to entertain! Haha. I forgot about giving her tupperware, that's a good idea that I'll have to try. I do attempt to distract her or give her a toy when I take her away from something she can't have, but that doesn't really seem to work. I'm impressed that peek-a-boo or singing kills 15 minutes with your little guy! DD likes that for about 30 seconds. Lol, she is definitely feisty. I think she shares a lot of my personality traits, so what goes around comes around I suppose

tamarar5 · October 2013

I give E a wooden spoon and a metal pot when I'm cooking so he can bang and make noise. Keeps him busy and happy the whole time.

brachysira · October 2013

My baby is the same, and the pps' suggestions are good. We go out A LOT. We joined a baby play group through the public schools, go to storytime at the library (and sometimes other further libraries), go to the zoo, moms' group playdates, the park, take hikes, the store, the consignment store, our yard, anything. Use the web to find indoor options if it is cold. She also takes swimming. Our go-to indoor things are to put out a pile of cheerios in a pile on the exersaucer, which she would do forever, and which my DH exploits... We pick our battles. Shoes are okay if they're not too gross. Hide/tape up, etc. as many other forbidden items as you can. I try to find one new kitchen item that is okay every day for her to bite. If your baby is really into moving, we got this tiny Step 2 slide and basketball hoop combo that really seems to interest her. She can go down the slide on her tummy all by herself but it takes her about 20 minutes of pulling up, leaning over, and sitting down before she has the courage. The hoop is also quite entertaining. She puts in hand in, looks down at her hand in the hoop, etc.

DublinMama · October 2013

Another vote for plastic kitchen items lol. DS loves wooden spoons, tupperware, and anything he can bang on and make noise with. He also recognizes some of his snack containers (like the puffs or veggie crunchers), and has yet to master opening them. So if I give him one of those he gets very excited and is thoroughly entertained hearing them shake around and rolling the container.

jkuhmann · October 2013

We are so there. I keep his toys in one of those foldout storage boxes from Target, and I've been letting him crawl into it or stand up and pull things out that he wants (his favorite thing is a spatula I just snuck in there, probably because it is new to him). It helps keep his attention for a while. But yeah, he's definitely into chewing on electrical cords and licking the bottom of our shoes and is always, always on the move.

light52 · October 2013

Not to scare you but you just described my first child exactly and he has ADHD, Everyone kept telling me I was just a FTM and didn't really know how a baby should be and that I was making it sound worse than it was. I now have proof that I was right all along.

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