Making Your Child’s First Christmas Memorable

Making Your Child’s First Christmas Memorable

New Baby

Celebrating Your Child’s First Christmas

Christmas is in the air!!  If it’s your child’s first Christmas, then here are just a few tips on how to make it more festive and memorable!

I remember so many things about Christmas Day as a child that meant so much to me that I wanted to make it special for my kids too!  YES, we as parents go through a lot of exhausting and stressful things all for the day, but looking back at all the pictures and videos, it was SO worth it!!

One tip that I will give that I started with my firstborn is that I took a picture with each child with all their opened presents around them so that they can remember what they got each year and also possibly ask themselves, “where the heck did that toy go!” LOL!

Making Memories and Traditions

Try to make great memories and continue with your family traditions.  Your kids may not seem like they appreciate it at the moment, but trust me, it really does mean a lot to them!

  • Handcrafted Ornament – make a keepsake ornament out of your baby’s foot or handprint.  This tradition goes WAY back and will always be something you will definitely want to save and bring out every single year, even when your kids become adults!! Here are some great ideas to make from simple to more creative!  Use cardstock, construction paper, or foam paper to make a Santa or reindeer handprint craft.  Handprint ornament made the easy way with clay.  For those who want more of a challenge, Christmas salt dough ornaments.  Of course, you can’t forget gramma and grampa gifts, here are some gift ideas for them!
  • Christmas tree – of course, you want to be able to enjoy having the tree up as usual and I say go ahead and be bold parents and just do it!!  BUT of course, you can add a little precaution like a baby gate around the tree…this way you don’t have to stress at all about baby crawling over to it OR kids shaking the presents LOL!  Also, you can let your toddlers and kids have their own tree to decorate!!  Here is a toddler tree that’s SO cute!!  Here is an awesome idea for kids to do with a felt tree that hangs on the wall!
  • Christmas books – Here are some great Christmas books you can read with your child.  It’s important that they learn the true meaning of Christmas and not think of it as a time to get “spoiled”, I mean, get gifts!! You don’t have to buy all these books, but maybe get them from the library. One great idea I’ve heard to do with kids is to wrap up 24 books and have them open one up every day until Christmas!! Here are a couple of books for toddlers to hear the Christmas Story, M is For Manger and Christmas in the Manger.  Here are a few books for kids, Christmas Time: It’s All About Jesus!, Jesus Calling, The Story of Christmas, The Beginner’s Bible: The Very First Christmas.

 

Here are a bunch more other Christmas books that you can have on hand!

Enjoy the day with your family and cherish every moment, as you never know what next year brings!  Merry Christmas Everyone!!

If you want to plan ahead on how to celebrate your Christmas without stress and hassle, schedule a consultation with me!

Tips For The Older Sibling

Tips For The Older Sibling

New Baby

Bringing home a new baby can be so exciting for everyone…..right?? WRONG! Most older siblings are so intrigued with their new little brother or sister and want to help (especially the girls!). Then there are those kids that do not want anything to do with that tiny little screaming human you just brought into “their” home! They are the ones that keep asking, “When are they leaving?”

Of course, you want to start off by having a gift from the new baby to let them know how much baby loves them! That’s always a big hit!

We obviously don’t want them to resent their new little sibling so make them feel like the special big brother or sister and that their new baby really needs them!

Remember, they just went from having mom & dad’s attention at ALL times to limited times or part time! SO my advice to parents would be to always include them in the care of the baby, like let them bring you a diaper or wipes, let them help burp the baby, or even hold the bottle.

Also remember to try and set aside mommy & me time, daddy & me time, as well as, mommy & daddy & me time! Have someone take care of the baby and go out to your child’s favorite place for some special one-on-one time.

Lastly, check out some books at your local library on new baby & older siblings to share with them.

Book A toddler consult now!

Check out some more great tips on Mighty Moms.

First Time Mom

First Time Mom

New Baby

Becoming a mother is an experience like no other! It’s no longer me, myself & I, you are responsible for this little being 24/7 non-stop! What you eat, drink, when you sleep (or not!), where you go & the things you do now are all changed! Babies truly are a gift from God and what you do with that “gift” will determine what kind of little human you decide to raise. Newborns are very smart and observant so the things you do and say will make a huge difference in the long run!

When an expectant mommy asks me what one piece of advice I can give to them, I would say try to relax, breathe & enjoy every moment! One thing I’ve noticed in the MANY years of working with babies, is that every anxious new mom leads to high-maintenance babies! The more chill, relaxed moms (and dads), produce the easiest, lower temperment, laid-back babies!

Definitely accept the help that people offer, even if it’s just to take a well-deserved nap or shower!! Take some time for yourselves once in a while, trust me, your baby will survive!

Nursing moms need approximately 500-800 of extra nutritious calories and at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. So make sure to eat your 3 well-balanced meals, have snacks at your breastfeeding stations and let that tumbler of water become an extension of yourself!

If you are fortunate enough to have grandparents or day nannies there for the first few weeks, let them do all the housework, laundry, cooking and errands so you can just focus on you, baby and getting as much rest as you can! And yes, “sleep when baby sleeps”, naps will become you’re new favorite thing to do LOL!

Of course, for those who would like someone like us to take care of baby overnight so you can be alert and well-rested for the next day, book some overnight care! Most parents say that even 1-2 nights a week help tremendously!!

Baby Is Home, Now What??

Baby Is Home, Now What??

New Baby

Congratulations on your new bundle of joy!! Most people describe parenthood as the absolute best, yet scariest experience they will ever go through at one time!

We’ve all heard how “babies do not come with manuals”, so how in the world are we supposed to keep this little creature alive? That’s easy, just ask yourself, “How am I keeping myself alive?” You eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired, & relieve yourself as needed! When you think about it, that’s really all babies need for the first few weeks! The only difference is that we don’t cry in between our feeds, sleeps & potty time!

SO yes, babies will cry from time to time, as that is their only form of communication for now. Don’t fret, they are fine and you will get through this! Then after baby has reached their birth weight and has established good feeding skills, you can implement a consistent daytime routine. I will go over some tips on a good routine in another post!

If this all sounds great and you would like baby sleeping all night on or before 12 weeks, then book a consult with me!!