New Year's with a Baby: 10 Tips, Tricks & Traditions

PREPARE:

1. Make sure she gets in a good nap, a rested baby is a happy baby! And if you can, snag a nap yourself too. Last year I accidentally fell asleep putting her down on New Years Eve and my husband had to sneak in and wake me up at 11:55 so I wouldn’t miss the New Years’s count down! This year I would like to enjoy the whole party. {Mamas need to have fun too!}

TRADITIONS:

2. Take a family photo every New Years Eve. If you start while they are a little and take one every year, it will not only become  fun tradition but a sweet keepsake memory too! It’s never too late to start, even if you missed a year or two just take one every year from here on out!

3. Take a photo of your child with a prop. Here are a few ideas, but remember the possibilities are endless! Balloons: have them hold one balloon the first year, 2 the next, and so on. Chalkboard: when they get older they can write their resolution(s) or dream(s) on the board, while they are little you can just write them a sweet little note or record a cute thing they did this past year. {If you want to up the game, take a short video of them every year — a short interview would be a fun thing to look back on!}

4. Make a Family Keepsake Frame — If you’re brave, make this! It’s a smidgen messy, tons of fun and makes the coolest keepsake. If you make one every year, you can frame them along with your yearly family photo! {This is a great project before the party starts, it only takes a minute.}

FOOD:

5. Have “party food” for your baby! If you’re little one is anything like mine, they will want to eat! Make sure you have some of their favorite foods pulled out for the big night. We love Happy Family’s baby food because it’s quick, easy and good for her – added DHA, probiotics and organic. And they are perfect to take with you when you are headed elsewhere for a party. The Happy Baby Pouches are Girly Qs favorites. She can hold them and squeeze them herself!

ACTIVITIES AND GAMES:

6. Sensory Bins — sensory bins are my go-to entertainment for baby. They are easy to pull together, usually fairly easy to clean up,

Here are a few sensory bin ideas:

7. Here’s a simple baby game idea: “Think Outside of the Box“

8. Neon Edible Finger Paint  — this is a little messy but would be great if you are staying at home and have a spot you can lay out a shower curtain to contain the mess.

BABYWEAR:

9. Wear your baby and snuggle — this way you can take a break from chasing after little one, have both your hands free and it’s great bonding. I usually do this right before bedtime to help my baby start winding down for bed.

BEDTIME:

10. Don’t make her stay up till midnight — she’s still so little and needs her sleep! When it does come time to put them to bed bring a sound machine if possible (or run a box fan in the room, just make sure there’s no way baby could reach it). The house may get loud during the festivity and you don’t want a cranky baby waking up on you.

If you are traveling during the holidays, be sure to read our post on Plane Ride with Baby — it has tons of great tips to stay sane!

 

Original article can be found here: https://www.therealisticmama.com/baby-new-year/

 

 

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