Entertain Baby While You Do Housework or Shower

When you have a newborn baby in the house, you rarely get time to yourself.
Small things such as showers become luxuries that you often don't get the time to do properly - and sometimes not even every day.
Unless you have a partner or friend willing to keep an eye on baby while you take a quick shower, chances are that you either need to take baby with you or time it perfectly with their nap or playtime.
Of course this means that a younger baby may wake up and become distressed and an older baby might get cranky or even begin destroying things at random!
Taking baby with you can have two different variations - you can take baby in for a quick wash with you or you can put baby in a safe and secure location where you can keep an eye on him or her while you take your shower.

Up till about 6 months of age, most babies are unable to move a great deal and are also easily entertained.
Placing a newborn in a bouncer in your bathroom will guarantee peace of mind and mean you can relax and enjoy your shower without worrying about your child.
From about three months of age, toys on the bouncer will keep baby entertained if they aren't asleep.
Bouncers are also a great way to keep baby safe and secure while you do housework - babies often make an attentive audience as they watch mom move around doing things.
Definitely a great investment for any first time parent, although bouncers will usually only be useful up till approximately six months of age when baby begins to move around more. Just make sure you're careful when buying baby bouncers online - check the reviews on the brand first.

Once your baby is starting to interact more with the world, including discovering skills such as rolling, push ups and sit ups, a bouncer can be outgrown fairly fast.
Baby wants to see the world - so you need to help.
Bumbos are a great option from about 5-6 months and onwards.
Your baby doesn't need to be sitting up to use one of these - in fact the high molded back can help baby learn the skills and muscles needed to sit up by themselves, without leaving them unsupported.
They're made of heavy duty highly flexible plastic that easily molds to baby's body while still keeping them secure.
Because of the high flexibility of the plastic getting baby in and out is never painful - the plastic bends whichever way you wish.
This also means that children often up to age two and older can still sit comfortably in this seat.
Up till about nine months of age, baby will probably be happy sitting and watching you shower - although after this you might want to leave some toys around the bumbo for extra entertainment.
The bumbo also has a matching tray available, making it a great portable high chair or play centre for baby.
After using a bumbo for more than six months I'm still amazed at how simple, durable, safe and portable it is for baby.

Once your baby reaches 9 months it's likely that they'll have learnt many new skills - some major ones including crawling and sometimes, even walking.
Sitting still for long periods of time can make them restless and cranky.
Of course a playpen is often too bulky or large to bring into the bathroom with you.
A great option is simply closing the bathroom door and putting some toys in the corner.
This way baby can entertain themself and you can be in easy reach if they need you or begin to get bored.
Just remember - by this age babies are often so busy discovering that no one item will hold their attention for long!