Ways To Entertain Baby While Lying Down

Baby

oi-Anwesha

By Anwesha Barari

Friday, September 14, 2012, 14:36 [IST]

If you have just become a parent then sleep is far cry from reality. The worst side effect of having a baby is obviously sleep deprivation. The newborn baby needs to be held in the lap for 18 hours in a day. When it grows a bit, it needs to be fed every 2 hours. The new parents are baffled by the baby's colic pan cries. And then when you think its over, the teething troubles start!

There is no hope for peaceful at least 2 years after your baby is born. The new parents need some rest or else they might fall ill themselves. The trick is to learn some ways to entertain your baby and grab some rest in the bargain. Here are some ways to entertain your baby while lying down so that you can relax a little.

The Helicopter Shot: We are not talking about the helicopter shot that cricketer MS Dhoni plays. Babies love to to be thrown up in the air. So give your little one a feeling of flying. Hoist the baby on your legs as you lie flat on your back. This way, you get to rest your back. The baby too gets tired and hopefully sleeps soon!

Play 'Fetch': We usually play that game with our dogs but if your baby is in the crawling stage then this is the perfect game for him or her. You can just lie on bed and entertain your baby by throwing a ball or toy. Just throw it and say, 'fetch'. The little one will hone his/her motor skill and you will get some much deserved rest.

Gadget Guru: Babies these days are totally enthralled by gadgets. Whether its laptops, ipads or mobile phones, they get attracted at once by these gadgets. The thought of leaving your new touch screen phone to your baby's mercy is not very appealing. But how about giving the baby one of your old phones. Let them play with it and dismantle it in any way while you get some rest.

Lets Go Camping: Kids love outdoor activities. The best way to get grab their interest is to pretend that you are outdoors and lets say, you have gone camping. Cuddle up under the blanket and get your camping essentials like water bottle, binoculars and toys with you. Now you sleep and let the baby pretend you that you guys are camping.

Find Mamma/Daddy: The best way for new parents to catch some sleep is to pass of the mantle to their spouse or partner. When you baby is giving you a hard time, just tell him/her 'lets go to mamma/daddy.' Then find your spouse and say, 'the baby was asking for you'. Bang, you got your 2 hours of rest while your spouse entertains the baby! On a serious note, you can actually get some sleep if the two of you take turns to look after the baby.

These are some great ways to entertain the baby and get some rest at the same time. Do you have any other suggestions that can help other parents?