Getting Help a Few Hours a Week

he is 5 months old.
How do you KNOW... he is "bored?"
Babies... rarely get 'bored' or have the cognizance of that.... until much older.

Next, a baby does NOT have to be 'entertained.' Nor all the time. Because it makes them over-stimulated and then they get over-tired. Then when over-tired... it actually makes it HARDER for a baby to fall asleep and to stay asleep and to sleep well.

When you say he is 'bored'.... what do you mean? That he screams and cries? Well... that does not necessarily mean he is 'bored.' It means... that he is over-stimulated or tired... and then is tired of being in the bouncy or play gym. Babies cannot 'communicate' except to cry. But 'crying' often means either hunger or over-stimulation or tiredness. In a baby. Not 'boredom.'

And, babies do not have any long attention spans. So, 10 minutes in a bouncy or pay gym... may be all he can put up with.

Just let him be..... on a mat.... and let him loll around. You don't 'have to' have toys all around him or have him in apparatuses.... or 'entertaining' him. Let him be and just hang out.... on a blanket. A baby needs that too.... just to learn too. Not ALWAYS being 'stimulated' with stuff.

A baby... also gets tired, after about 2 hours of awake time. At this age, even a bath is a major activity for a baby. Then they get tired. So then put him to nap.

all the best,
Susan

Have you tried a swing? My babies LOVED their swings, even my especially high needs baby. They would swing for very long times, even sleeping in them most times. I couldn't have survived without one.
I totally agree with Susan's post below. Babies don't get "bored." They do get over-stimulated or need a change of scenery. They can't do much for themselves, so that is why they have you. Have you tried wearing your baby with a sling? Some babies do so much better with those. And, it frees up your hands to do other things. Also, unless you want to start introducing illnesses to your baby enmasse, I'd stay away from daycare centers. I shudder at the thought of voluntarily putting a baby there. I'm so sad for mamas who have no choice. {Please know I don't mean any offense by that, it's just how I feel.}Being a mother requires great sacrifice. It helps mature and grow us in ways we never knew existed. Sometimes our personal desires need to be shelved for a few years. I guess we have to evaluate which is more important: a house that looks like it used to look when nobody was in it all day or a house filled with people who love each other. Although I like my house to be clean, if made to choose, I'd always choose the home with children and love and one that is being used to its fullest potential.
Oh, and I applaud you for your wonderful, encouraging comments about your husband. It's rare to read such honoring words. Your husband is a blessed man!

Check out sittercity.com. It is a site where parents post jobs, and potential babysitters reply. Each babysitter has a profile that you can check out. There are tons of people who would love to do a "Mommy's Helper" type thing.

Good luck. And it will get better soon! 5 months is a tough age IMO. They aren't just blobs anymore, they are aware but not mobile so they get frustrated very easily.

I hope you are able to find the help you are looking for.

Depends on the daycare. Mine does so I assume most would. Do you have a "Swaddles" by you. They take kids by the hour (its liek $8 or 10 per hour though) I would search for daycare you would consider and then visit them. Call them up and ask for a tour and ask what they require, what their edcuational schedules are, terms for sick babies etc. if you like them (meaning the people and the place) ask for references or just stop one of the parents who are on their way in or out. You can also ask for some recomendations from friends or neighbors. Someon has to know something about the daycares. I chose mine for 2 reasons, it was recomended by a friend and the daycare is mandated by the state to serve all the food groups at meal times so I KNOW she is getting proper nutrition and not just fruit loops for breakfast.
Alot of my friends bring their kids to inhome daycares. They found their caretakers by word of mouth. If you really want to dig deeper into that post something here on Mamapedia and ask for references for inhome daycares in your area.
Good luck

I would definitely find someone to come to your home. I am a SAHM, but have a wonderful lady who will watch my younger two (oldest is in kindergarten), so I can run errands and go to appointments. My husband is deploying in a few weeks and we're going to set up something more permanent (like every Wed from 8-2). Try to find a middle-aged woman with older children who does not work, but could use the extra money. Or, maybe you could find a college kid that has a relatively flexible schedule.

Most daycare centers have full or part-time availability and not just once a week. I think your best bet would be finding a part-time nanny that will come to your home. You can find a service in your area that will help place a nanny for as many hours you need.

Good Luck

You might like to have a mother's helper, who is a 12 yo girl or older to help at home while you're there. You might be able to find such a girl in your neighborhood. You can ask at school. Some schools help students find work. You could also ask at churches as well as your friends.

IMO, unless you are home during these few hrs that someone else is watching the baby then the best option is daycare. I personally won't feel comfortable leaving a "high needs" baby with 1 person regardless of whether I know the person or not. I personally would opt for a daycare center. There is a lot more eyes there and a lot more hands too.

Call around and interview places and be upfront about your child's needs.

Well, if you get a part time or FT job you'll need care more than 1 day a week. We went with daycare because we were more comfortable with multiple people in an observed situation rather than a single unobserved person in our home (could just be a little paranoid :)). You interview daycare centers to find one - make sure they meet all your state regs, hours work for you, etc. Then you set up an interview and then if you think you like the place - you go back and observe for at least 1/2 a day to see how the caregivers and infants really interact. If you go with a nanny - there are finder services but you still need to interview and check references.
D.

I can think of a few different ways that you can approach the situation.

First, I'd try to find a more experienced mother to kind of shadow. Maybe a mother in your neighborhood or from church, etc. Ask her to come spend the day with you and observe and make suggestions, or if you can go to her home and see how she runs things there. This would be especially helpful if she has a child of a similar age.

I would also choose a daycare center over an individual, unless you can get recommendations from people who you know and trust, for a sitter that they have used. Every SAHM needs at least SOME time to herself. I usually get a sitter for a few hours twice a month so I can run errands without the kids. It is a major sanity-saver, although it takes a lot of effort to find the right fit for your family. I find my sitters on SitterCity.com

I completely understand your situation. My son was a very high needs baby, and still is a very spirited 4 yo. I would like to tell you this temperament gets easier to deal with, but it doesn't! At my son's daycare, part time is 2-4 days a week- 1 day is considered drop-in and has a higher rate. I would suggest finding a mother's helper at a service like sittercity.com. Or you could advertise at a local university for a college student that is looking for a little extra part-time work. Good luck!