Just as I was about to send out the monthly newsletter about our boxing day blowout, I realized how important it is to share ideas about how to endure the holiday craziness -- babies and tots in tow.
Read this blog twice before heading out to the mall. Take a deep breath. Then go.
Some tips:
Do as you do
While you're cooking a festive dinner -- be it for Diwali or Kwanzaa -- you can keep the wee ones busy by giving them tasks similar to what you're doing. Fill a break-proof bowl with small balls or Papoose Play Food to mix together. My mother would do an amazing game with the grandkids. She would pretend she was a customer at a restaurant and gave her little "waiters" a paper and a pen to jot down her order. For kids who can't read, have them draw a sketch of the order instead. It's great for comprehension and reading skills.
Walk this Way
To avoid the Toddler Scream-A-Thon, get Junior to push the stroller with you while shopping. This helps keep their hands away from merchandise. Just make sure you place all jackets and bags in the seat of the stroller so that the stroller doesn't topple over. To encourage even more autonomy, wee ones can also sport their own small stroller to place wheel their favourite stuffy about town.
Circuit Playing
Have a bag of your child's favourite toys at the ready during any outing. Don't present all at once, though. For example, have a selection of 3 toys strapped to your stroller with something like the Pippalily toy strap. Each time you sense a need for more stimulation, change the toys on the strap.
What a Turn Off
Remember that over-stimulation can be often be the reason why your baby won't stop crying over Holiday dinner. If it's not your sister aggressively teaching your baby sign language, it's your uncle tossing your little gal up into the air hoping for some giggles. Not fun. Events like these can be as disorienting as going to a carnival with a migraine. Find a quiet place to feed. See if she needs a nap. If not, engage in much more quiet play.
What coping ideas do you have?
No comments:
Post a Comment