We've all had one of those days when you feel torn in two. Dinner needs cooking but your baby wants to play, you desperately need to eat but your baby is restless.
I had that day today. We had lots of little jobs to do and I needed Buddy to happily play independently for short periods of time - with distant supervision of course! So here are a few of my quick distraction techniques which require absolutely no preparation.
The instant rattle
This one was a chance find on my part. Buddy loves playing with the whisk from his discovery box, however some days it does not hold his attention for long. Enter the instant rattle - a few wooden blocks of Lego bricks inside the whisk. This is now one of Buddy's favourite toys and I have had plenty of strange looks when he takes it out in the pushchair with him, but he is happy and that's what matters!
Hard skinned fruit and veg
Handing buddy a lemon, lime or naval orange is guaranteed to give me up to ten minutes of time where he is entertained and happily distracted. The thick skin means he is unable to start eating it with his limited tooth supply. I watched him chase a lime across the living room for at least ten minutes this morning whilst I was putting our food shopping away.
Bubble machine
Just switch it on! We bought ours for £6 and the entertainment value has been priceless.
You can get some amazing bubble recipes by following the link below.
Bubble recipes from baby savers.com
Or, if you prefer things to be a bit more low tech, just make a half and half water and washing up liquid mix.
Box of tissues
I prefer to use this as a last resort because it is pretty wasteful, however it puts a huge grin on Buddy's face every time and I can't put a price on that.
Pots, pans and measuring cups
Just grab a few pans and utensils out of the cupboard and you have your own mini orchestra. I always try to chose the noisiest items because I know that they will entertain Buddy for longer.
Anything in shiny packaging
This works at home and in the supermarket. If Buddy starts becoming agitated and I'm not able to play solely with him straight away then I hand him something in nice shiny or scrunchy packaging. Popcorn is a big winner, however packs of straws, chocolate bars and packs of dishcloths have all worked.
Here Buddy is playing with a kit-kat whilst I made lunch. (Please ensure your child cannot open the packaging and never leave them unattended with objects in packaging)
So what are you waiting for folks, try one and have a nice cup of coffee for a few minutes!
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