How to Survive the Holidays with a baby!
Hello lovely families!
I’m on a mission to get back into blogging- not that I ever really started! It’s a little nerve-wracking to put yourself out there sometimes! But, with the holidays coming up and people getting back to traveling, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite tips for surviving the holidays with you children!
Stick to your schedule and routine as much as possible.
This is much easier said than done with all the running around that happens during the holiday season. If you had to pick one thing to stick to- make it the wake up time. The occasional slip to sleep in (like New Year’s Day) is fine, but sticking to the same wake time starts the day off right and helps keep everything else on track.
Naps in the car are OK
If you can plan your travel time around your child’s nap time- do it! It’s ok to be a bit late to Aunt Mary’s house for lunch because you need to travel during naptime. You and your child will have a better time if she’s well-rested- even if you have to miss some of the festivities or arrive late.
Limit activity and over-stimulation
Most babies and kids can only handle one or two activities during the day without becoming very overstimulated. They have an activity time limit of about 45 minutes before needing a bit of a break. Take them into a quiet bedroom or outside for a few minutes to reconnect, breathe, drink water or have a snack before returning to the party. This will go a long way to preventing wake-ups all night after a day packed with activity. This also means choosing activities wisely and maybe even saying, “No,” to a certain party or gathering. Your family may be disappointed but for young children, less is better.
Keep meals and snacks at the usual times
Eating helps set our body clocks. If we eat at odd times, we might not be hungry enough to eat a full meal. Or we might be distracted from all of the excitement and not eat when we are supposed to. Carry lots of high-protein snacks to help make up for hurried lunches or missed meals. This will help our bodies keep to their regular sleeping schedules and will prevent overnight wake-ups from hunger.
Bring black out shades and your own sleep space
If you are traveling to a hotel or a relative’s house, bring or buy poster board (Dollar Store!) or towels to make the room darker. Bring your own pack and play or other sleeping apparatus so that your child does not feel confused by their sleep space. If possible, give your child time to acclimate to a new bed, crib, or environment well before asking her to sleep there.
Do not over-book
Similar to number 3, if you are going out of town, keep your activity to a minimum. For example, don’t go to Disney one day, Epcot the next, and Sea World the next. Plan days in between for rest and lounging by the pool. This will make the activity days much more enjoyable.
If you have specific travel questions, are changing time zones, or have a sleep or parenting challenge you’d like to discuss, please email me at cindy@holisticsleepcenter.com. Have a wonderful holiday season!