The 6 Month Baby Leap - How To Cope by Joyful Jellybean

Joyful Jellybean Blog - The 6th Month Leap

So what do you do with a 6-month-old to keep them entertained?

At this point, I knew I needed something more to keep him entertained as his wake windows continued to stretch. It was March, so whilst we were out of the depths of winter, Spring was still teasing us and the days were often icy cold and wet.

I’d previously taken him to a soft play centre when he was 3 months old. We may have walked in with a giant board above our heads saying ‘First Time Parents!!!’. Me and my husband were both running on nothing but frayed nerves and caffeine, which as any person who has stepped foot into a soft play centre on a Saturday afternoon will know is not the best combination. The poor chap just sat in my arms looking around, and at us, like we’d landed him on Mars.

Although at this age he could sit unaided, he seemed miles away from being able to crawl, but we bought a not-so-aesthetic playpen, chucked it into the lounge and I spent more hours than I’d like to count sitting on the floor of the thing.

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One part of parenthood that no one seems to mention is the fact that when you’re going to sleep (for the 3rd, 4th or 5th time that night), the songs from your children’s toys will swirl around in your head like you’re walking Peppa Pig World jukebox. Pick your musical toys wisely is all I will say on that matter…!

What worked for us was having toy rotation. I know, I know, all the ‘TikTok moms’ bang on about this in their perfectly pristine homes, looking like they’ve just come from a photoshoot. But seriously, it helps! You don’t need to have the aesthetic toy room, playpen or even storage box. I used canvas boxes from Ikea, but for your sanity, it at least makes the day feel slightly different from the day before. When your baby is at this age, you’re doing all you can to make your days manageable. If you’re able to cope, if you’re able to find happiness, then best believe your baby will be able to have a great day.

My lesson from my first baby that I’d share with any soon-to-be first-time parents is to plan your week. I don’t mean down to the tiny details, but having points of differentiation from Monday-Friday can help you stay sane and by this I mean:

Whilst these are just examples and everyone's circumstances are different, when you hit the moment that your baby is suddenly in need of entertainment, doing what you can to make the days different will not only be stimulating for your baby, but it’ll work wonders for you too.

Looking to take your themes to the next level? Then explore our themed baby toy boxes featuring toys designed to help you implement themed play days easily. We also provide the option to add on a beautiful canvas storage bag to keep each theme neatly stored (a glimmer of that TikTok mom life, right?)