Holiday Tips: Are you Hosting or being Hosted?? How To Enjoy Yourself And Maintain Healthy Sleep Habits For Your Baby
Greetings Parents~
I hope this message finds you well and settling into the cozy part of the year when it calls for us to rest, rest, rest.
For many of you, this time of year either involves travel to or hosting family or friends. While this is a wonderful endeavor, it can take a toll on both you as well as your little one's energy reserves.
Hosting Tips:
Having a lot of family in the home can be wonderful but it can also be overstimulating for babies/toddlers. Whether you are hosting or being hosted, here are some tips for how to enjoy your time and help your little one stay rested and fresh for all the festivities!
I hope this message finds you well and settling into the cozy part of the year when it calls for us to rest, rest, rest.
For many of you, this time of year either involves travel to or hosting family or friends. While this is a wonderful endeavor, it can take a toll on both you as well as your little one's energy reserves.
Hosting Tips:
Having a lot of family in the home can be wonderful but it can also be overstimulating for babies/toddlers. Whether you are hosting or being hosted, here are some tips for how to enjoy your time and help your little one stay rested and fresh for all the festivities!
- Not everyone is a party animal!
- Remember that the temperament of your baby/toddler will tell you a lot about how to best protect their peace and joy when socializing with lots of new people.
- If you have a social and extroverted baby, they may need added time to wind down before nap or bedtime.
- If you have a baby who is more introverted and likes to observe their environment, you may find that they need more time with you, more time to warm up to their new surroundings/people and more time to rest and restore.
- Downtime, downtime, downtime:
- Offer quiet downtime with your little one before naps and throughout the day to help them "reset" for all of the socializing.
- Try spending an additional 10-15 min with your child at bedtime the first few nights. This will mean that you want to start bedtime a little earlier than you normally would at home.
- How to Nap your Baby and have a good time?
- Be sure to protect at least the morning nap to ensure that your little one gets one solid nap per day. If you need to travel to a home, schedule that around a nap time.
- Take your little one out for a walk or a snuggle nap for the afternoon to ensure good and restorative afternoon sleep.
- What to do when all else fails?
- Warm baths and quiet floor play are excellent ways to help your little one restore and reset. Hop in the tub with your baby and take some deep breaths.
- Go for an evening walk and look at the trees. A change of pace and state can often aid babies in resetting their central nervous systems.
Wishing you a lovely Holiday Season filled with play...peace...and sleep...
