It’s that wonderful time of the year again! Enjoy the holidays with your little ones.
The holidays are a great time to interact with relatives near and far. It’s so important that kids get to see and interact with their relatives, especially grams and pops! We’re living in unprecedented times right now and without knowing what tomorrow may bring, let your kids enjoy their relatives.
I like to refer back to the saying, “blood is thicker than water.” Friends and acquaintances will come and go, but relatives will instill good moral principles and teach kids ethics and family history, just what they need!
So although travel is a bit “different” this year, make that effort in surrounding your kids with family as best as you can. If it’s easier for them to travel to you, don’t hesitate to ask them or even help them get there.
Here are a few important tips to make your holiday travels and gatherings more stress-free. You can also refer to my Travel Blog for a more detailed description of travel including different time zones!
Baby’s routine and sleep during the holidays
Staying home:
Try your best to keep your little one on their daily routine that they’re used to, eat-play-sleep, watch the clock for their feeds, and their cues for their naps. It doesn’t matter who you have over or how many people, our normal daily routine gets thrown off every single time, so obviously, the baby’s does too!
When you have your visitors, it’s very important that you let them know ahead of time, that baby will be going to their room for their usual naps & bedtime, no matter what! Now beware, grammas are going to want to hold and spoil baby NONSTOP! So to soften the blow, have them get involved in the “putting to bed process” and feedings. (Another reason why I like to incorporate at least 1 bottle in their day!)
On the road:
If you’re traveling, try to schedule after the first-morning nap if possible, which is the most important nap of the day! If they can get a good nap at the beginning of the day, then the rest of the day will go much smoother! Because as we all know, when we travel, delays and unexpected things happen all the time!
When at a relative’s house, implement the same sleeping rules as above, but have a designated area in a back room where it is dark & quiet and have the usual items from home with them, swaddle or sack, portable noise machine, lovey, etc… And don’t forget to pack plenty of formula, baby food, medicines & teething remedies in case they get sick or start to teethe during the trip! This way you’re not running around looking for your favorite remedies taking away precious time from family, not to mention, some stores may be closed. Here is a good cold & flu remedy to have with you and a teething remedy, Camilia.
Here are a couple of travel cribs that are lightweight, Fold N’ Go and MiClassic Bassinet.
Also, here is a great baby rental equipment company that you can use if you don’t want to pack your own, BabyQuip.
Just remember, babies get overstimulated very quickly and if they’re not in the comforts of their home or they have “strangers” on their turf, they will have their “off” days! Try to have fun, enjoy the family, and if it all goes downhill, do NOT stress, just go with the flow and start fresh the next morning!
Routines help tremendously when it comes to planning things and being able to know when to go places! If you would like to schedule a consultation, contact me!
