Although getting out together is important, remember that you and your child can have lots of fun at home, too. Some new parents quickly get themselves involved in a busy network, involving lots of social engagements. They race around each morning to get the chores done at home so that they can get out to a playgroup, followed by lunch with a friend, followed by a mid-afternoon coffee at the local cafe.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can’t enjoy your baby in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Spending time at home
Going out is important, but it can be exhausting. Often, a day at home - with a walk or a trip to the store to break things up - is the most wonderful sort of day of all. It gives you the space and time to get down on the floor with your baby and really talk to her and play with her.
Give yourself some treats
Having a home-based day gives you time to talk to your baby, to sit down and enjoy your lunch while she’s gnawing on a bit of apple or carrot, or to take the time to marvel over how much she’s changing and how much she can do.
If you’re lucky; you might also get to have a bit of time to think about yourself. Try lying your baby on a rug while you do an exercise routine: she’ll probably be hugely entertained by what you’re doing, and you’ll feel better for toning your muscles - after all, there aren’t many chances for exercise sessions when you’re a parent with a young baby.
There are some time savers that will give you more time to play (and relax):
- Order a takeout as a treat once in a while
- Do you really need to iron everything?
- Get your supermarket shopping delivered, or get a friend or relative to get your shopping for you
- For a quick clean up, pile all the mess into a big basket and sort it out later. Obviously this isn’t ideal but at least your home will feel a little less cluttered and chaotic
Toys and games
From 3 months on, your baby will benefit from toys she can try to hold on to. From 5 or 6 months, your baby will also enjoy games that involve gentle bouncing. Try nursery rhymes that involve a bounce on your knee, and you’ll probably find her gurgling in delight. A baby bouncer is a good investment, and often good value if you buy it from a reputable second-hand store.
Make time for mementos
You’ll never believe how fast the first year of parenthood goes. After it’s gone, every subsequent year seems to go even faster! Because it’s a time of such quick change, it really is a good idea to keep a record of how your baby is developing. You’ll have lots of fun seeing how she grows, and it’s also a lovely thing to share with her when she’s older. My 8-year-old daughter recently did a project at school about herself, and being able to look through the mementoes of her own babyhood with her was an immensely enjoyable exercise - and something that clearly fascinated her.
There’s no end to the ideas around at the moment for what to save as mementos. You can buy a kit that enables you to make and frame your baby’s footprints, although it’s just as easy(Together More Fun), and probably cheaper, to get what you need yourself. If you want to splash out, the sky’s the limit - an artist will paint your baby’s portrait, or you can find someone to dip her first shoes in bronze or hire a professional photographer and do a proper photo-shoot.
Take a photograph of your baby at the same time every month - you’li build up an invaluable record of her as she changes.
Most importantly, however, you should keep a box - a shoebox is great, although a slightly larger one might be more accommodating. Use it to store such mementos as your baby’s name-tag from the hospital, a lock of her hair from the first haircut, perhaps the clothes she wore on the day you brought her home, or a favorite pair of baby shoes.
Traveling with your baby
Going on vacation with a baby may seem a daunting prospect if it’s your first child. But in fact, its far more difficult to travel once your baby is on the move. A baby of between 3 and 6 months is, in many ways, the ideal age for travel. If she’s breastfed, this is especially true, as you won’t need to pack a lot of formula and bottles.
Although your friends might say you’re being very “brave” by taking her away at such a young age, in fact she’ll be easy to look after because all she really needs is you. And you in a relaxed state, happy to just enjoy life with her, could well be the recipe for a perfect family holiday.
At between 3 and 6 months, your baby will probably sleep for most of the time that you’re in transit.
Planning ahead
Having children means, for most of us, an end to much that was spontaneous in life. But if you do decide that you want to take off for a break at short notice, it’s worth sitting down before you go and making sure that you’ve covered all the details. Good planning can make a big difference to how much you enjoy yourselves once you’re there.
Wherever you’re planning to go, it’s worth considering whether the location is family-friendly. Places where you had enormous fun before you had children, could be entirely inappropriate now that you have a baby: if possible, ask others who’ve been there with children. Think about whether you’ll want any time just on your own with your partner - if so, look into going somewhere that has child care facilities.
En route
Pack a bag with lots of little treats, just in case your baby is wide awake entertained on the journey. You can hide some of her toys a couple of weeks before at the airport the trip so that they’ll have novelty value when you produce them at the airport, or buy her some new, inexpensive toys.
If you’re traveling by plane, remember to feed your baby on take-off and landing - sucking will help reduce the risk of earache.
If you’re held up at an airport, or just waiting for your flight to be called, take her for a walk - there’s always lots to look at in the airport, and you might as well wait until you’re sitting down on the plane to start feeding her if you can: this is when you will be most anxious to get her settled.
Most seasoned traveling parents think that, on an airplane, either the bulkhead seats (no passengers in front; more lea room) or the back seats (near the toilets and attendants) are the best option.