According to Dr. Frans Plooij, one of the world's top specialists in infant development and parent-baby interactions (as well as author of the brilliant book, The Wonder Weeks), babies can experience boredom. Many babies clearly communicate when they are bored. They cry and exhibit restlessness.
Your baby will give you little clues that they're bored, such as yawning, looking away, squirming and crying. If you think your baby's bored, show them you're listening by giving them something different to do. Move them to another area of the room, pick up a different toy or just give them a little quiet time.
Baby's mind and body are constantly developing in the most amazing ways right now, and we get your enthusiasm about maximizing every moment of this key period. But the truth is, you don't need to do a heck of a lot to entertain a newborn.
Between 3 and 6 months, an infant's vision improves dramatically, so he'll be on the lookout for new things to see, whether it's a bright light, bold pattern, or spinning ceiling fan. Even if he's just staring, if he's quiet then he's engaged. If he gets cranky or fussy, though, he may be bored.
If you can relate, you are not alone. A UK-based survey showed that most children get bored of a toy in about a month. As you buy them new toys, the playroom gets cluttered and things get harder to find. This leads to your child getting distracted, frustrated, and losing interest in a toy even more quickly.
Rest assured, it's perfectly okay to let your child play alone, even at a young age, as long as you're nearby and he's safe. So if your little one is looking at a book in his crib or sitting on the floor stacking cups (within ear- and eyeshot, of course), leave him be.
That's why we asked our experts how much time per day we should spend playing with our babies in order for them to get all of the benefits that play time can provide. To put it simply: between 20 minutes to one hour per day.
Here's a guide to independent play time by age: At 6 months, a child may be content playing by themselves for 5 minutes. At 12 months, they can handle about 15 minutes of solo play. At 18 months, they might play alone for 15 to 20 minutes.
Do babies get bored of parents? To put your mind at rest, the research suggests that babies don't need to be around other babies to grow up happy and secure. You're not alone if you've wondered about this, but it might be reassuring to know their relationship with you is more important.
A bored baby makes an independent baby.
Boredom allows your child to explore on their own, encouraging them to learn how to problem solve and play with an item in their own way without any interference. For example, if your child was bored with a teething toy, they may start to shake it to see if it makes a sound.
Cries from Boredom or Overstimulation
Sounds Like: Usually not as loud as other cries, and often staccato. Boredom can easily transition to laughter; overstimulation can escalate to shrieking. Other clues: An overstimulated baby might turn their head away from you or other stimuli. They may also bat angrily at objects.
#5: Your Baby Can Feel Lonely
For the first time in their existence, they experience physical separation from their caregivers. After constantly hearing a heartbeat and being 'held', being put down for long periods of time can be quite scary and lonely. Some infants will go down easily and seem content to be alone.
It could be that the toys you have given your baby to play with are not best suited to her stage of development. Babies learn through play and if a toy is too advanced, or not advanced enough, she may well ignore it.
It's important not to overwhelm the play space with toys. As an approximate guide, try to keep the number of toys immediately available to under 4 for a premobile child, under 8 for a crawling child, and under 12 for a toddler, depending on the size of the space and number of parts to each toy.
At 4-5 months, babies often start reaching, grabbing and rolling. There are also new emotions and sounds from babies at this age. Simple activities like talking, singing and reading are good for baby learning and development.
At 4-months-old, your baby is starting to show more of their personality! They are able to recognize familiar faces, respond to affection, smile, and might even laugh. They are able to sit up with support and push up onto their elbows or hands during tummy time.
Play peekaboo. Let your baby discover that actions can make things happen. Provide toys that move or make sounds when your baby plays with them, such as baby musical instruments, busy boxes, or see-through toys that show motion. Sing nursery rhymes like "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
Our children risk lacking in emotional understanding and empathy. They may not be as resilient as they need to be. They may replace your influence in their lives with the influence of others. Playing with our children also creates a sense of safety and comfort that they will miss.
It might be sometimes hard to work out what your baby needs when they cry. But even if your crying baby isn't sick, hurt, uncomfortable or hungry, it's still important to comfort them. For example, you could try cuddling or rocking them, taking them for a walk, or giving them a baby massage.
Babies need fresh air and light. Going for a walk outdoors is also stimulating and fun for your child. A healthy baby can go outside every day in any season, as long as the temperature isn't too hot or cold.
A bored cry can sound similar to the overstimulated one — it's low toned and may come off as whiny. It's simple to soothe, and it can even turn into laughter once your baby is old enough.
If you think that your baby may be tired but are not sure, there are some signs that you can look for as indicators of fatigue. These include excessive yawning and fussiness; if these behaviors occur during naptime or bedtime then they likely indicate that your little one needs more rest than usual.
It helps the child spend time alone.
I have found that some kids love to be alone, and others have a very hard time entertaining themselves, even for a few minutes. Starting room time when your child is young, helps your child entertain themselves even if only for a short amount of time.