peek-a-boo is always a good game to play with them it requires no toy just you and baby stormei loves playing it and some times we play hide the remotes. thats where you sit on the floor with a remote tv vcr dvd any and hide it either behind your back on the floor or under your legs anywhere he can grab it when he finds it also can be played with a fav toy. anouther one i play with stormei is chasy usually i run she chases ohh and this one seems mean but i play fetch with her i get something she likes and trow it to the other end of the room she goes and gets it then some thimes brings it back its good exersize for them and helps them develop. and dont worry i felt the same way with ebonie until i seen a mummy with a 3 yr old in a pram and the mum was ordering herself some lavash dish while her child got some measly chips thats when i realised i was doing better than i thought.

Stop beating yourself up, you are doing a great job.  A happy disposition and less guilt will mean the world for bub, more than most other things.

One thing you could do if you were worried is talk to him about what you are doing.  Mummy is washing the dishes, see Ashton, this is a saucepan.  I couldn't bring myself to doing it with my first, but it is supposed to assist with speech.  If bub is happy, you should be happy too.  Remember he is only just learning object permenance, so bored is a long way from his mind.

have you got the baby einstine series? if not get that. it may seem stupid to you but it is so educational for them. then get the little einstiens from disney (its on foxtel)

read to him show him photo's they are good.

Art stuff u can somewhat do with him like paint his hands and feet. my kids loved that.

balls and bricks (have ice packs on hand)LOL

let him be independant and see about the place. hold his hands and let him lead the walking about the house and yard. outside sitting in dirt is fun then the bath afterwards. :) Mud is wonderful fun to, get muddy as well. :D

dont let ppl say TV isnt good as kids will stop watching when they want. we always had it on as background noise. now we are always watching Anime and my kids can speak a little Japanese cause we watch in Japanese and they can read a little too. it is great.

there are so many games and toys he can do with out u being there and you are totally right, him having time to him is great. I cant see anything that you can do better. :D sounds like u are doing wonderfully Dannii.

hey hun sounds like your doing great!

not sure what else to add except tobias loves to go out for walks and to the park too

do you have a swingset? tobias likes playing in that when im out putting the washing on the line or exploring in the garden, playing on the grass.

other than what your doing theres not much else to do with them at this age! he amy sulk a bit if you go off to do your own thing but he will be fine and learn to play on his own more as he grows.

I always give him time on his own, he isnt a spoiled baby. From a newborn i didnt pick him up that much for this reason. I just feel mean as if he thinks im abandomning him

hey, you sound like you are doing a great job.  you don't have to sit with him every waking minute.  Its good if babies can learn to entertain themselves for a little while, so if you feel like sitting down and having a cuppa (obviously with Ashton in your line of vision), then do it.  Books are great.  my 9 month old likes to sit down, with me holding her hands and singing row row row your boat whilst rocking backwards and forwards.  You could start doing some more educationally focused games, such as colours, alphabet, numbers etc- he wont know what you are talking about just yet, but this will make it easier for him to learn when it is time.  Sing songs with actions (insy winsy spider, twinkle twinkle), we sing ALL the time in my house.  he might like to do some hand painting- just make sure he doesn't stick his finger in his mouth and use non toxic paint. go for a walk to the park, or a pond to feed the ducks. A change of environment can be stimulating for both of you.  These are just some ideas.  But remember- he will stimulate his own imagination if he is left to play by himself for a while- then you will see what his interests are (especially if you plan on having more bubs- then he will need to know how to play by himself).  so don't feel guilty if he doesn't have your non stop undivided attention all day long.  you are doing a great job, xx josie

dannii, you are doing everything right, you might find that if you try to interact with him more he will want you all the time, when he is on the floor playing use that time for yourself, read a book watch some telly or just chill. you are a fantastic mum you just need to remember that.

take care sweetie

Anita xxx