We started rotating toys at a young age; so he would have stuff out for a few months and then put it away and take out other toys. That always helped.
We have a play kitchen that he LOVES, lots of blocks and lots of physical stuff--little y bike, rody horse, trampoline, etc. Mostly being outside; anything for outdoor activities. The Cozy Coup is a popular item at our house, bubbles, water table, etc.
Some things C has gotten lately: - Garden tools - Shaker eggs - Bucket - Kid sized wheelbarrow - Watering Can - Water table - bubble mower (and bubbles in general) - books - a little plastic nuts and bolts set because he's obsessed with unscrewing lids - Bath toys
Clearly that's a lot, and an emphasis on outdoor toys, but we too needed a toy overhaul and I'm looking for ways to keep him entertained by himself this summer.
I definitely want a play kitchen next time it goes on sale. He's dabbled with crayons but isnt super interested. He does like play doh. He's actually really into his stacker rings lately. I think it's all part of a take apart, put back together phase.
DD is almost 18m and novelty is king. That makes it hard to keep her engaged with any one toy.
That said, she loves balls, the bubble machine, the ride on car, stacking cups and buckets. She loves a stupid plastic spoon and a baby bowl. She also likes a music shaker and xylophone.
I'm excited to get out the water table.
ETA: I didn't read the previous posts before I wrote mine. Definitely some themes!
DD is only 1 year but we rotate out toys. We started mostly because we keep stuff in our baskets in our living room so we have limited space for all the stuff she gets but I found that if she doesn't see something for even a few days, it becomes cool and new all over again, hah!
@angryharpy DD actually keeps her shoes on! Mostly because she hasn't figured out the velcro yet so her plans to remove her socks are foiled. But my co-worker has a 3 year-old and her answer is never. The shoes will always come off!
I feel like BabyWaffles is getting tired of playing with the same toys all the time. What were your kids' favourite toys/games at 18 months?
LeapFrog picnic basket Baby dolls and stuffed animals, with a small blanket or cloth napkin to put them "night-night" - MH made DD a doll bed for Easter Board books featuring lots of animals Mega Bloks, and a Mega Bloks train A puppy to pull on a leash (Fisher Price Lil' Snoopy) Tea set A small purse or tote bag to put things in and carry around (just make sure the handles aren't long enough to go around the neck)
And I'm going to get a water table for her soon, for the yard.
The fisher price food truck is cute. My youngest is the third boy so he usually just plays with his older brother’s action figures, paw patrol stuff, and the kitchen/food truck. He also likes making creations with duplo blocks.
For outside- water table, being driven around in power wheel, cozy coupe, rollercoaster and he is currently obsessed with his bubble mower because it works on grass well.
Post by Velar Fricative on May 14, 2019 9:08:53 GMT -5
Waffles - great suggestions above. Ditto the recommendations of Mega Bloks, dolls, and a play kitchen, since DD2 loves them all (she's almost 2). BUT, my older DD never liked any of that stuff lol.
@angryharpy - at this rate, never. DD1 always kept her shoes on and DD2 takes them off immediately in the car. And then she'll scream her head off if she's struggling with them so I'd much rather she keep taking them off if that's her reaction. At least with the warmer weather coming, it's okay if I have to carry her to and from the house barefoot.
melmaria, I didn't BF my second but my first never spaced out her feedings during her awake time like that and I BFed her until around 9 months old. :/ I think that was one of the reasons I just never really enjoyed BFing. BUT, based on the threads I remember about this when she was a baby, my baby seemed unusual. I did ultimately have supply issues so if your supply is great, you're in the trenches at 3 weeks old and might see some more spacing out after the ~6 week growth spurt. Hang in there!
When will my breastfed 3-week-old DD go longer stretches between feedings?
I was prepared for feeding a newborn every 2-3 hours or 8-12 times a day, based on all the books/articles I’ve read. But DD eats more like every 1-2 hours and 15 times a day and has since birth. It’s not a supply issue; I actually have oversupply (plus she has gained weight like crazy and has tons of wet/poop diapers each day, so I know she’s getting enough).
Breastfeeding has always been really important to me and I have no physical issues doing it (good latch, good supply, no pain). But damn if I’m not tempted to switch to formula just to have longer feeding intervals.
DD was a frequent feeder. Everything was great for us, too! She was tiny at birth but gained weight quickly, good latch, my supply was good (not great or an over supply) but she still wanted to feed often, especially at the start. It wasn't until at least halfway through my maternity leave that she would go longer stretches, probably 6-8 weeks. I'm sorry, it really feels awful when you're in the thick of it!
melmaria, things may space out a bit after the 6 week growth spurt. How long is she staying latched and actively sucking? Does she nurse from both breasts one right after the other or one breast per feeding? How does she show that she's "full" and done feeding?
melmaria, you're doing great and whatever you want to do will be right. I am a great advocate for formula and combo feeding if that's what people want, but it doesn't always guarantee fewer feedings. My DD was EFF from 8 weeks and never drank more than about 80ml feedings her first few months and no more than 120ml at a time until she hit a year old. She was just a snacker who would eat every 1-2 hours all day long.
When will my child stop taking her shoes off in the car? It’s SO ANNOYING.
My 4.5-year-old still does this, but at least now she's old enough to put them back on herself (though not on the right feet). When she was a toddler I wouldn't even bother to put shoes on her before getting in the car - I'd just carry her to the car shoeless and put them on when we got there.
When will my child stop taking her shoes off in the car? It’s SO ANNOYING.
I started putting my kids shoes on once we got to our destination. I wasn’t annoyed anymore because I only had to put them on once. Now he’s almost 3 and will mostly keep them on in the car so I don’t worry about it anymore.
I feel like BabyWaffles is getting tired of playing with the same toys all the time. What were your kids' favourite toys/games at 18 months?
She definitely likes building/knocking over blocks and taking things in and out of boxes.
Also keeps pretending to feed us so I'm going to look at kitchen stuff for sure - what else?
My son loved his kitchen (ours is from ikea) at that age, still does actually. Other big hits were his water table and doing sensory bins (a big bin of dry oats and stacking cups or cars to drive through the oats). We did these on days I had to vacuum the floor anyways so the mess didn’t bother me. Another favorite is the plan toys bee and cups game. The bees are choking hazards so my son only played with them under direct supervision, but they held his attention for long periods of time. We would talk about colors, work on matching colors, and he would pour bees from one cup to another. It comes with tongs to use when they’re a bit older, so they can pick up the bees and put them in the cups. It’s still one of our most used toys.
When will my breastfed 3-week-old DD go longer stretches between feedings?
I was prepared for feeding a newborn every 2-3 hours or 8-12 times a day, based on all the books/articles I’ve read. But DD eats more like every 1-2 hours and 15 times a day and has since birth. It’s not a supply issue; I actually have oversupply (plus she has gained weight like crazy and has tons of wet/poop diapers each day, so I know she’s getting enough).
Breastfeeding has always been really important to me and I have no physical issues doing it (good latch, good supply, no pain). But damn if I’m not tempted to switch to formula just to have longer feeding intervals.
That was E1. He ate every 45 min-2 hours for the first few months, and spaced out to every 1.5-2 hours after like 6 months. Even with bottles at daycare. He was a snacker. I was CONSTANTLY nursing him in the beginning. I did initially have a low supply with him, that became an oversupply once I started pumping at work. Even the oversupply didn't help him space out feedings. He just ate on one side at a time.
But many babies begin spacing out after the big 6 week growth spurt. E2 has begun spacing them out more. I've had an oversupply from the beginning this time.
Will my nipples ever stop hurting? We're 4.5 months in and I'm still struggling with always having at least one pissed off nipple. I've seen the LC multiple times and they've confirmed that there's nothing wrong (no clogged duct, mastitis, thrush, lip/tongue tie, etc), but I'm so tired of being in pain all the freaking time.
Will my nipples ever stop hurting? We're 4.5 months in and I'm still struggling with always having at least one pissed off nipple. I've seen the LC multiple times and they've confirmed that there's nothing wrong (no clogged duct, mastitis, thrush, lip/tongue tie, etc), but I'm so tired of being in pain all the freaking time.
Do you use any nipple cream? Have a prescription for APNO? My left one has been KILLING me for 6 weeks now. I finally got a prescription for APNO, and that helped. I also switched to cloth nursing pads because the paper ones were rubbing them raw. I'm finally getting some relief. My right one has been mostly painless since 2 weeks.
I had to make my own cloth nursing pads to get some that could keep up with my leakage.
Will my nipples ever stop hurting? We're 4.5 months in and I'm still struggling with always having at least one pissed off nipple. I've seen the LC multiple times and they've confirmed that there's nothing wrong (no clogged duct, mastitis, thrush, lip/tongue tie, etc), but I'm so tired of being in pain all the freaking time.
Do you use any nipple cream? Have a prescription for APNO? My left one has been KILLING me for 6 weeks now. I finally got a prescription for APNO, and that helped. I also switched to cloth nursing pads because the paper ones were rubbing them raw. I'm finally getting some relief. My right one has been mostly painless since 2 weeks.
I had to make my own cloth nursing pads to get some that could keep up with my leakage.
Nipple cream seems to make it worse. I've tried lanolin, non-lanolin, different brands, and they either don't make a difference or make the pain worse (not due to application, but due to frequency of damage happening). My doula was the one who recommended that I stop using it, with the idea that it might be over-moisturizing my skin and making it more sensitive to tearing. I haven't tried APNO, though the LC did mention that as an option, because I've actually had a little bit of improvement since I stopped using nipple cream altogether.
I tried cloth nursing pads, but they caused more irritation than paper ones. What did you make your own pads out of?
Do you use any nipple cream? Have a prescription for APNO? My left one has been KILLING me for 6 weeks now. I finally got a prescription for APNO, and that helped. I also switched to cloth nursing pads because the paper ones were rubbing them raw. I'm finally getting some relief. My right one has been mostly painless since 2 weeks.
I had to make my own cloth nursing pads to get some that could keep up with my leakage.
Nipple cream seems to make it worse. I've tried lanolin, non-lanolin, different brands, and they either don't make a difference or make the pain worse (not due to application, but due to frequency of damage happening). My doula was the one who recommended that I stop using it, with the idea that it might be over-moisturizing my skin and making it more sensitive to tearing. I haven't tried APNO, though the LC did mention that as an option, because I've actually had a little bit of improvement since I stopped using nipple cream altogether.
I tried cloth nursing pads, but they caused more irritation than paper ones. What did you make your own pads out of?
I did a layer of bamboo velour (which is the side that touches my skin), 2 layers of microfiber terry for absorbency, and a layer of cotton flannel for backing. They're a bit bulky but I wear lined/molded bras so they don't show. My shirt is a bit damp when I wake up in the morning, but they keep up nicely throughout the day.
Will my nipples ever stop hurting? We're 4.5 months in and I'm still struggling with always having at least one pissed off nipple. I've seen the LC multiple times and they've confirmed that there's nothing wrong (no clogged duct, mastitis, thrush, lip/tongue tie, etc), but I'm so tired of being in pain all the freaking time.
Are you exclusively nursing, or pumping at all? One of my nipples was torn to shreds for the first 3 months with DD1, and only got better once I started working and pumping instead of nursing all damn day. The pump gave it enough of a break that it started to get better around 4 months. I used all the creams and APNO and they didn't do much to heal it.
A LC had recommended it while I was still on leave and struggling, but I had no desire to pump when I was home with her.
ETA - oh and I also took Motrin daily for those first few months.
Will my nipples ever stop hurting? We're 4.5 months in and I'm still struggling with always having at least one pissed off nipple. I've seen the LC multiple times and they've confirmed that there's nothing wrong (no clogged duct, mastitis, thrush, lip/tongue tie, etc), but I'm so tired of being in pain all the freaking time.
Are you exclusively nursing, or pumping at all? One of my nipples was torn to shreds for the first 3 months with DD1, and only got better once I started working and pumping instead of nursing all damn day. The pump gave it enough of a break that it started to get better around 4 months. I used all the creams and APNO and they didn't do much to heal it.
A LC had recommended it while I was still on leave and struggling, but I had no desire to pump when I was home with her.
ETA - oh and I also took Motrin daily for those first few months.
I do a combo of nursing and pumping. I feel like the pumping sessions have helped things heal a little bit faster, but I'm still lucky if I get more than a day between one pain healing and the next pain starting. I've been considering adding more pumping sessions into my schedule, but I really prefer to nurse so I'd rather not if I can help it. Ugh.