How to Have Fun With Your 1 Year Old

Having a Baby is a constant job. Some Mothers become overwhelmed with all the constant attention that is needed from them, all the simple things they need to get done but can't, and after a year of never having peace and queit can be very stressful. But the good news is, your One-Year-Old has reached a milestone in his development where he can have fun with you, and do activities with you as well. Here are some activity ideas for you stressed out mothers that can do good for both of you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A baby (haha)
• A stroller, or a car
• A stereo
• A TV
• A good mood
• Patience
• A certain time of the day for this activity

1. One of the easiest things you can do with your child is play with them. It keeps both of you happy. While he is playing with his toys, why not play with him? Having kids is just an excuse to play with all your old favorite toys anyway, right?? So have at it! Let go of your uptight adult mind. Have an imagination again.
2. When you are cleaning the bathroom and baby is in the living room watching TV and starts missing you, open the door and let him in. Give him a rag and let him wipe at stuff with you! Don't let him get into those chemicals in the cleaning solutions though. And make sure all the dangerous stuff is out of reach!
3. POTS AND PANS!!!! Kids LOVE Pots and Pans! Get em' out. Take a couple of wooden spoons and play away!! The funnest kinds of parents are the ones who are still children at heart.
4. Work out! When baby is hogging the TV, tell him to scoot his couch potato butt and let you watch something. Put on your work-out video and watch as he tries to copy you. He will love it!
5. BUBBLES! Kids love bubbles. You don't even have to buy bubbles from a store. Just take dish soap, and mix it with water (not too much, you still need to have enough soap in there to make bubbles). Take a bubble wand and blow away! He will love that too! Make sure you wash his hands afterwards, and don't do this on the carpet. Do it in the kitchen or outside.
6. Speaking of outside, why are you spending all your time on the computer? (I should be talking, right?)
   Take your kid for a walk. Go to the park. Go to a friend's house. Go shopping. Do something. As long as he has new stuff in front of his eyes and as long as you are moving, he will be content.
7. Is your baby a little artist? I can't tell yet with mine, but he sure loves to get the colored pencils and crayons out. Get some scrap paper and let him experiment. He will understand soon enough what it all means, and soon he will want to actually draw, not scribble.
8. Chase your kid. Gosh, is there any kid in the world that doesn't love to get chased around the house? Make scary noises. Tickle him. Get that baby! And let him get you too!
9. this is my son Watch movies with him. By now he's starting to recognize TV characters if he gets to watch the tube. My son loves Elmo. I just let him watch Elmo when I need my hands free, but I also watch it with him. I just let him sit in my lap and smell his hair. Babies smell so good! Yes, watching Elmo may be torture for you, but look at how much your son likes him!(This can go for any TV character that your kid likes, I just used Elmo as an example)
10. There are endless things you can do with your child. For those who like to go all-out, schedule a day for the zoo! If you show your kids pictures of different animals and they seem intereted, then they will LOVE to go to the zoo! Be careful though, don't let them feed the Giraffes or goats! Wait a couple years for that.
11. Read. Read. Read. Get books for your little one. Babies need one on one time with mommy/daddy. If your little one is impatient (like mine is), make it interesting by making the sound that the object or animal makes, make loud noises while pointing at stuff. He'll giggle.
12. Put on your dancin' shoes and dance to you or your baby's favorite music! Sing! Even if your voice is terrible... do it. He won't care, and you don't have to impress anyone! Hold him while you dance, be hyper.
13. Try to teach your little one how to clean up. Once it's starting to get close to bed time, show him how to put his toys away so that all the cleaning up will be done BEFORE he falls asleep. My son has a big dump truck that I like to put the toys in and drive it to the toy box. Then we dump it all in there. He likes to help me, and it's a good thing, too!

Tips & Warnings

• Even though your child has their own likes and dislikes, when you are shopping for toys for them, try to pick out at least one thing that you used to like when you were a kid, so that when you play with them that it will be more rewarding for you, and hopefully get you more interested in playing with him.
• Try to show your kid educational TV shows, if anything. Show him the more educational shows and movies more than those that are not.
• Always make sure that you and your kid aren't too caught up in whatever it is you are doing. Make sure there's nothing that your kid can't hurt himself on.