Video Transcript
(00:07):
Happy 2021, everyone! Hopefully, everybody had a good start to this year. And even though I think we’ll still be in the house this year, hopefully, it is not as crazy as last year was. I decided in November to put my grandson in daycare because of work. It was hectic. I was finishing up my MBA, and I just did not have time, but during the holidays, because the daycares are closed for, I think about almost two weeks, I had to take care of him, which is something that I have not had to do full time since mid-November. So I thought about what were the things that really, really helped me during the two weeks that daycare was closed. And I had to take care of my grandson. He is now almost eight months old, so it was definitely different than when he was younger because now he is more alert, more aware of his surroundings and what’s going on.
(01:02):
And it isn’t just easy to just have him in the sleep schedule. Cause before he was sleeping, probably like four times during the day, he’s now down to two naps. So I definitely had to keep him entertained while also doing work, which I was doing during the holidays. I was still working. So these are the baby items that definitely helped me during that time. And hello. And for those who don’t know me, my name is Shevonne. I do productivity management and organizational videos. I also talk about working with a baby because that is what I’m doing right now. And so I hope that you’re able to subscribe if you want, hit that notification bell, and also subscribe to my newsletter, which I’ll have the link down below. So I’m going to break this down into categories to make it easier. Um, so the first category is baby gear.
(01:54):
So what is the baby gear that I am using for him right now that has helped me keep him entertained and make sure that he is not putting himself in danger because he’s not crawling yet, but he’s turning to do that dragging thing that babies sometimes do. And so we’re almost there. So I can’t just leave him alone because he is starting to drag himself all over the room. He’s not like stationary. So the first thing is the baby swing. Now that he’s older, I can put him in the swing for 30 minutes, and he’ll be in there, uh, entertain. And so the swing has been great, especially in the morning when we come down and I have to feed the dog and do all the things to make sure that the house is up and running. I can put him in the baby swing and know that he is in a secure place where I can watch him and get the stuff I need to get done.
(02:48):
I believe the baby swing only lasts six to nine months. So I know that eventually, I give it another. I think it will be this year, this month, actually, I’m going to be giving that baby swing away because he will no longer use it. But for now, the baby swing is great to have around. So another excellent baby gear is bouncy seats. So I use the bouncy seat in the bathroom because when I’m trying to get all his bath stuff situated, I can have him this bouncy seat next to me while I get that done. Or if I have to take a shower, then what I usually do in the morning, our morning routine is I get up, I get him dressed, feed him, and then I’ll take a shower.
(03:34):
And so then I can have him in the bouncy seat and not have him in the crib. And so it’s a good place to just have him there with me and watch him while I’m trying to get things done in the bathroom. He doesn’t use the bouncy seat as much during the day. Other than that, he started not to be as entertained in the bouncy seat as he used to. And I think it’s because now that he’s able to move around, that’s all he wants to do, but it’s good when I’m trying to get things done like five, 10 minutes great place to have for him. So a playmat it’s great. Um, we have the Fisher-Price one, and I love it. It had different functions, but now that he can sit up, you can turn it into a little piano, and he can play on it.
(04:22):
So I think that’s really nice. It keeps him well entertained while I’m right there next to him. He sits there, and he’ll play on the piano or play with like the little, um, toys that are dangling. And, uh, it’s an excellent way for him to be entertained while I have to get work done. And then these two go together. So a foam mat, um, I have that with a gate. The reason I got it was because I had like a blanket, um, and he bumped himself, and then I realized that he needs something. That’s more like a foam, you know, for people who had done gymnastics in the past like I did when I was a kid, foam mats are great. So I got him a foam mat. So when he’s trying to crawl or drag himself, whatever you want to call it, at least he’s not like hitting himself on the hardwood floor.
(05:10):
Um, because with the blanket, you still feel the hardwood floor with the foam mat. It is great. I found one on Amazon. It was really well-priced cause some were like over a hundred dollars, and I was being super frugal. I was like, Nope. So I got one that was like $50. And so that one has been really nice, and it has different designs if you flip it over. So that has been good. Then I got him like, uh, offense or uh, like a gated play yard area. And it’s for when he actually starts moving around, and it’s this one that it will go, he’ll be using well into his toddler years. I can have that in my kitchen while I’m trying to get things done in the kitchen. That’s where I spend the majority of my time. And so he can be there with me while I’m trying to get things done right now.
(05:55):
I have the Christmas tree there, so I can’t put it where I want to put it. But when I bring down the Christmas tree after three Kings day, then I’ll have that area for him. So when I’m trying to get things done in the kitchen, he can be there with me right now. I do have him in the high chair, which is good because I have, um, like this whole setup in the high chair. So while I’m trying to get things done, Tiffany center is also great to have. So my dad got him the activity center that has the finding Nemo theme, which is really nice. And I can put him in there, and he loves jumping around and like all these little activities there. If he starts getting a little bit bored, I also like we’ll put one of his toys there, but the only annoying thing about that is that he’s at the age where now he like takes it and throws it down and then looks at you and B and it’s like pick it up.
(06:44):
So that part is annoying, but you know what, whatever it is to get him entertained while I’m working, that activity center is great. And it has so many like I’m even entertained by it. It has like, um, all the little like characters from Finding Nemo, and it has on like all around. And one thing I love is that the seat, um, swirls around 360 degrees, so he can like move around with it. So it gives him that sense of being active and moving around, which he’s not able to really do in the swing or the bouncy seat or the high chair. And he’s able to sit there. The only con about that is the fact that it is pretty heavy. So it’s not like I can just pick it up and put it in another room or take it to the basement and be happy with it.
(07:32):
No, I have to sit there and just have it in one place. Cause I’m not moving that thing, especially with all the little gadgets that I have, I’ll be popping those off while I’m trying to move it. So that’s the only thing about it because you have to stay in one place, which I did like about the bouncy seat. After all, I could just move it to any location that I wanted. But as I said, I am getting that area in the kitchen because I think that that’s the part that is really missing is the kitchen. And so he’ll be there with me while I’m trying to get things done, but that activity center is amazing. So I definitely recommend you get one, especially for babies that are like six to nine months. So one of the milestones that I was looking forward to, and it’s probably one of the milestones that many parents were like, huh, is that I was ready for him to put his pacifier back in his mouth.
(08:20):
I tried so hard that I was trying to sleep, train him, and get him away from that pacifier. But maybe it was just cause I was tired. I could not, but around maybe like six and a half months, he started actually learning how to put the pacifier back in his mouth. So one of the things that I got, I don’t have it with him when he’s sleeping, but I have it during the day is a web enough fake version. And the reason I say that is because he never took to the webinar, and it’s because of the pacifier. He has the only pacifiers that he’ll accept are the Mams. And so one thing that I love about the ones, the webinars fake out versions, I don’t know what you call them but cause different people to make them is the fact that it still has the stuffed toy, but then you can pick whatever pacifier you want to attach to it.
(09:12):
And those have been great because he could just pick it up and put it back in his mouth, which is why I think webinars were so popular. And I’m able to not worry about him looking for that pacifier. I do have with the Wubanub, the fake version, that even though it’s the pacifiers attached to it, I still have pacifier holders like the string and stuff like that. I still have it attached because it can be attached to his bed, and then he can find it instead of just being, and also, you know, I don’t want it to be all thrown on the floor with him if he’s on the playmat and stuff. So it’s good for him to have that Wubanub fake version cause he can play with it. And then, on top of that, it’s easier for him to be put that pacifier back in his mouth.
(09:56):
So now, let’s move to the toys section on what’s helped me keep him entertained while I’m trying to work. And I will say like the soft books and the board books having great. I prefer the soft books because, um, the board, he tries to put the board books in his mouth because babies tend to just put everything in their mouth and know, their board books, the soft books, at least their soft texture. And one thing I like about the soft books is that it has different textures. So it starts teaching about, um, different textures, and it helps with their senses. And so I love those soft books, and I got him the black and white ones because black, white, and red actually, and that helps them, him as well with his brain development. And so I really love those soft books, and I’ll sit there with him.
(10:42):
Like they’re not actually like text more pictures of things. So I’ll sit there and say it to him in English and then Spanish because I’m trying to teach them Spanish. Um, so that’s one of the things that I love about those soft books. Teething toys are a must. And so I usually have them in the freezer when he’s not using them, but when he’s in the high chair, I have those teething toys, and he loves them. I try to hook them up to the pacifier holders because, as I said, he’s at that point now that he throws everything on the floor and then looks at me, like pick it up. And so for me not to have to do that, I prefer to just put the pacifier holder, clip that thing on his bib. And then when he tries to throw it, and it comes back to him like a boomerang, he’s like, what happened?
(11:25):
And I’m like, yeah, I got you. But love those teething rings because they’re frozen, and it helps with his teeth. So, it keeps them entertained when he’s in the high chair, and I’m in the kitchen trying to get things done. I also got him a rattle. There was a rattle that a lot of people tended to like, but um, I got him another one where, um, and I’ll show a picture of it, but you press on it, and it’ll like, make noise. And now he’s at the point when I first got it for him, I think that it was, he was two months old. He did not know what to do. And he just looked at like, what is this? But now that he’s older, he knows to bang it, and it’ll make little flashing noises and sounds and stuff and nothing.
(12:02):
For some reason, it keeps them entertained, and I love it. So I definitely think like in a rattle they’re different ones, there are ones that move around and shaking and things like that. So just find the one that makes more sense for you. This is the one that worked for us. And so that’s the one thing that I recommend is a rattle. This was only like three bucks. And I was like, why didn’t I get this before, but stacking cups. So, and then what I like about these stacking cups, it has numbers at the bottom of it, but that has been amazing. As he sits there, he’s not at the point where he knows how to staff, but he knows how to bang those things. And I actually just read an article today that it’s good to get them something where they can just bang it and things like that.
(12:39):
So I do recommend the stacking cups, and they’re definitely affordable for another toy. That’s kind of like the second cup is the rings. So I got him the infant Tino rings, and he loves those rings. He still doesn’t know how to put the rings back in the holder, but hopefully, eventually, he’ll get there. But I love the fact that it will also teach him different sizes because it stacks up into different sizes. And then as well as it has like different ones that rattle and different textures. So definitely get him the rings as well. It’s very similar to that as well is actually blocked. So I got him these blocks, and they’re soft blocks. Cause I was afraid that if I got him the wooden ones, he would hit his head, especially that I’m telling you that he likes to bang and stuff, but these blocks are really great because it does have like little educational things like numbers and animals and things, but, and shapes.
(13:30):
And as well as the fact that it supposedly will help him learn how to like, you know, stack them on top of each other. So those three toys, they’re kind of in the same vein of things, but I have all three. And I think that they’re great. I try to bring out one or two toys at a time, not all the toys at once, to not get bored. And so that is something like, even with his Christmas toys, I have some that are still packed somewhere because I’ll take those out once a month. And then it’s not something that is just brought out at once because kids tend to get bored quickly. And then I also got him this like Cal musical toy, and that thing is, so I love it. Like it has like little buttons numbers.
(14:17):
It has different musical songs that it has. They have a little knob. Yeah. And you can flip it. And when you flip it, then it shows changes. The, uh, features that when you press the buttons that you can use. So that thing, Oh my God, I think it keeps them entertained for a long time. So I love that, that little cow. And then lastly, this, um, thing that I have in his high chair, I have, um, it’s like a twirly thing and I’ll post a video of it, but that thing, Oh my God, that’s what I use on this high chair. And that thing can keep him entertained. The only thing is, and now he’s gotten strong enough that he can take it out, throw it in, and stuff. Ooh, I’m telling you never was my favorite phase, but um, that toy is great.
(15:00):
And it has a lot of different things in it. It’s very intricate. So I love that toy. And lastly, my sister got him a musical mat, and Oh my God, I love that musical Madison. I was shocked by all the features that are in it. And it’s great. So definitely those that musical Matt is a must. Those are the baby items that I use to keep my grandson entertained while working during the holidays. Please let me know if there are any that you recommend that your babies are using. I would love to know, but thank you again. And I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.
