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Christmas Babies
So are you in for a cliffhanger
this Christmas ?
Perhaps your full of anticipation, but not just for what Santa might bring.
Giving birth is one of the most extraordinary experiences
!
If you've got a new baby or a lively toddler,
Christmas takes on a whole new meaning. An exciting time
Christmas is traditionally a very exciting and happy time in family life.
Sharing these feelings with your baby can be a great bonding experience.
Remember it's a time for families and most importantly children.
Let them grow up with the same happy memories of Christmas that you have.
Think back to your own childhood Christmas's.
What made them special for you?
Try to recreate some of your positive experiences with your baby this
Christmas.
Enjoy this quality time together .... get creative, and take lots of
pictures!
( Take a new photo each year and see your baby grow into childhood and
beyond. )
Christmas time can be very stimulating for your baby.
Lots of different faces : cuddling with nanny and granddad, aunts, uncles
and other relatives.
Everyone wants to hold the baby and see her play with the toy they've
lovingly chosen!
It will be extremely " tempting " for you and your family
to shower your baby with gifts.
Unfortunately young babies are just as happy with wrapping paper !
Don't worry because soon enough you'll be given a long list from your
child.
So do use this year as a chance to spend less and celebrate more.
Take care of yourself
Don't ever feel guilty taking a few moments time out when possible.
You do need to recharge.
When its time for a nap put a sign on the door that says ....
"Mother and baby are sleeping .... Please do not
knock or ring unless we are expecting you !"
Switch on the answer phone.
Return calls when you feel like it. People will understand.
Do trust your instincts .... chances are they're right.
You often know more than you think.
Don't be afraid to ask for affirmation and
listen to your mum if your fortunate enough to have her
around.
She knows a little about babies.
Naturally you can use which advice you like and forget the rest.
Don't feel guilty
for raising your child the way you want to.
I've no doubt she did the same. |
Play music
Set your mood and your baby's with CDs and tapes.
Start your day with happy energizing music, and end it with calm soothing music.
Talk to your baby a lot-and use adult words. Your baby learns language
from you long before he talks.
Babies also need to learn that life is sometimes quiet.
So put some toys on
baby's blanket or in the playpen and let your baby alone for a few
minutes ....
Do something quiet nearby.
( from where you can see them at all times )
In the evening take a warm bath with
your baby a couple of hours before bedtime. It's a lovely way to relax both of
you and prepare you for a good night's sleep.
I often danced with my baby :)
Pop on a good lullaby or smooth jazz CD.
A dark room and a slow dance often send a baby to sleep.
Always remember to burp baby well
even if you have to wake them up after a feed : It will be well worth your
while.
If not baby ( & you ) will usually wake again
soon anyway .... So aim to do it really thoroughly
the first time .... then you and baby will get a much more sleep.
If your breastfeeding use a pump and bottle the milk : that way
your partner can share some of those night time responsibilities.
If baby is already on solids make your own baby food and freeze them into an ice cube tray. Once
frozen pop them out and store in a freezer bag. This way you will always
have a healthy meal very quickly to hand.
Get opaque blinds for
babies room and yours.
This will help keep the rooms dark for naps and ensure that you and your baby
don't always get up with the sun.
In the beginning its quite nice to make a nightlight trail from your
bedroom to your baby's bedroom. You'll probably be making several trips at night and you wont need to put any bright lights on.
Keeping the rooms quiet
and dark will help your baby understand that nighttime is for sleeping,
not playing.
In the middle of the night, when your completely exhausted repeat to yourself " This too shall pass
" .
The festive stress is never higher than when you have a new baby.
Try hard to keep to routine.
Baby won't really know whets going on and will need
meals and naps at the usual times.
Keep visitors busy while the baby is asleep
(so they can't keep checking if
she is awake yet. )
There's bound to be plenty of washing up !
Start new family
traditions
Give
your child a special Christmas decoration every year.
By the time they get married they will have their very own personal
collection ......... a tree full of memories !
Start a scrapbook to
save mementos from your baby's first Christmas. Leave a space on the cover
for a Christmas photo.
Sing a special Christmas carol to the baby that you will
continue to sing each year.
Christmas Birthdays
Any birth date has advantages and disadvantages and Christmas birthdays
are no different.
On the positive side, it makes for a wonderfully special Christmas season.
Have their birthday parties either just before or just after
Christmas.
( ok so it's not actually on their birthday, but how many birthday
parties are? )
Whenever your children have their birthday party , it
will always be special.
The only negative is a lack of summer toys and occasionally they
get too much in one go at Christmas.
Encourage siblings to help with their new brother or sister.
They can open baby's gifts or read a Christmas
story to them.
Toddlers at Christmas
All too often
the celebrations end up in tears and tiredness and that's just the
parents!
Toddlers rarely adopt an attitude of peace and good over the festive
season.
Generally they can get quite wound up with the excitement.
Make sure your toddler gets out for a good
play in the park to let off steam and run around. If the weathers to grotty, let
them have half an
hour's noisy play indoors perhaps invite a friend round for an hour in the
morning. Start winding down for bedtime with a long
bath and plenty of wet and splashy games, then snuggle with a cuddle
and a story.
Reduce stress levels and lower your standards, just for now.
Who cares whether your toddler eats all his Christmas sprouts or whether
you're dressed before lunchtime.
The more you try to do, the more stressed you'll feel .... Relax and try to
enjoy this special time - after all, there's always
next year!
Toddlers first visit with Father Christmas can be quite scary.
The concept is hard to grasp for toddlers and
Santa can a bit scary looking at first.
Before you go read some books to your toddler about Santa.
Let him see
pictures or watch a cartoon about Santa and the reindeer.
When it's your turn .... instead of putting
your child on Santa's lap, kneel down on one knee and put your child on
your other knee. He can then talk to Santa without feeling insecure.
If they don't want to see Santa, don't make them.
If you're going away just after Christmas, as many families do,
make sure you leave some room in the case for one or two of your toddler's
new presents. He won't like leaving those behind!
Santa's coming back into your life too
Yes he's here to stay .... for at least the first five years of your child's life.
So the magical
quality of Christmas is set to return.
You might find yourself reliving all
the excitement of your own childhood as you hang your baby's stocking up on
Christmas Eve.
Enjoy this Christmas for its uniqueness !
Each holiday year is different and special , the memories you make will stay with you a lifetime, even if
they are a little different than usual.
Take time to behold the miracle in front of
you.
Nothing could be more special than watching life unfold ....
Enjoy !
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