Young Infants

[JJPlaycare]

I just had a baby in the end of Dec so he is just over 2 months! I have a swing, a bouncy seat and baby gym for him to be in! Here is his schedule and how I do it thus far with him;

He usually naps around 9 am for about an hour and he does this in a pack n play in my bedroom or in a pack n play I have set up in the play area! (He is use to the noise and sleeps right through it, important when you live in a daycare)

I have the baby gym set up in the bassinet part of a pack n play in our play area, so he is not laying on this on the floor with all the kiddos running around! He can either be on his back or his tummy in this! I also have a few toys and a mirror in there for him to play with!

I also have his crib set up in his room with a mobile and one of those light up crib toy things!

During lunch, when all the kids are eating and in there spots is when I let him lay on a blanket or the gym (which is easily moveable) onto the floor and this is when he usually does most of his tummy time! Since everyone else is occupied, he is save to be unattended on the floor, he is where I can see him though! My area is wide open!

If I do floor time with him when everyone is awake, I am right there down on the floor with him and all the kids know that they can't touch the blanket, but you can't trust them!!

Also to incorporate floor and tummy time into the day, we all do tummy time with him!! : ) Kids are GREAT entertainers!!

He then sleeps the entire naptime! (usually, but not always) If he is awake during naptime this is usually when he has floor time, which includes belly time!

AND the rest of the time I am holding and snuggling and chatting with him, because that is what babies need most of all!

[blueclouds29]

No I mean exersaucers. The one with the wrap around trays that they can bounce in.

Nannyde, I totally gotcha! Yes i totally agree way to young for those...

[JJPlaycare]

Wanted to also mention that I did all of this same stuff with my daughter who is now 4! I used baby equipment, rotated her from one thing to the next, played with her, engaged her, but also let her have time for independent play, gave her as much tummy time as I could just the same as I am doing for my new son AND my 4 year old daughter started climbing out of her crib at 7 months, before she was even walking! Walking didn't start until 8.5 months! Anyway I wanted to mention this to show that kids develop just fine when baby equipment is used!! Baby equipment has bright fun colors and things to engage a childs brain, tummy time builds alot of core and neck muscles! Holding, snuggling and talking to an infants builds a relationship and a bond and social skills! ALL of it is important for an infant!!

[Michelle]

You guys are so lucky. In Calif. we can't have bouncy seats, exersaucers or swings,
We can have highchairs, cribs, and playpens,that's it!

We end up holding them, doing floor time, and if they are old enough play in the highchair with toys. My favorite is to have them play in the playpen outside under a tree while the other kids play.

[MommyMuffin]

Hubby is building a large play room. One side of the room will have a counter across the wall and a rocker and all sorts of baby stuff. It will be separated by the XL gate and I am looking into getting something more permanent.

So 1/3 of the room is just for babies. Toddlers and preschoolers will play together in the larger room. That way I am closest to the little babies and the older ones cannot hurt them. I will also be able to see the older ones from the infant area to supervise and intervene as needed.

The diaper changing station is right outside the door of the room and I can see the play room and the arts and crafts/eating area from the area.

I have a 6 week old and we mostly spend time eating, sleeping and some time on the floor. I have a little play gym that has sides on it so that the baby can lay on the floor but the 6 month old who likes to roll around cant roll on her.

Since children develop at different rates I would access what the infant can do and then have activities such as tummy time as appropriate.

I have exarsaucers, bouncy chair (no different than a soft place for an infant to sit), swing and think they are great. JMO

[AfterSchoolMom]

When I say "bouncer" I mean the stationary infant seat with the toy bar overhead, the ones that sometimes vibrate. I don't mean one of those door jumpers or the jumparoo things.

As I said my 4mo goes into the exersaucer...but just started this week and is very nearly 5 months. I agree that 3 months is definitely too young for a saucer!

[Abigail]

Oh I didn't mean those. I have never owned one of them.

We call exersaucers bouncy seats.

OK, just a term confusion. Exersaucers are what you call bouncy seats and those are recommended for 4-5 months for the starting age when they have control of their head support. They don't actually bounce because they only move around in circles unless the baby pushes really hard with the legs to move up and down. Jumperoo's are the only other thing babies can actually "bounce" in and those recommended starting ages are at 6 months.

[Cat Herder]

You guys are so lucky. In Calif. we can't have bouncy seats, exersaucers or swings,
We can have highchairs, cribs, and playpens,that's it!

We end up holding them, doing floor time, and if they are old enough play in the highchair with toys. My favorite is to have them play in the playpen outside under a tree while the other kids play.

Same here.

"No mechanical restraint"

"Cribs for sleeping, only"

(and I refer to Johnny Jump Ups as "boucy seats"... It has to be an age thing)