With the upcoming holiday season, families everywhere are getting ready to enjoy time together. It’s time to put up the decorations and plan the dinner parties. But amidst all the usual hustle, families with newborn babies have extra worries. So is your baby – and the extended family – ready to meet and have fun?
You are naturally excited about your baby’s first holiday season and look forward to introducing everyone to your bundle of joy. Before you dive into decorating the nursery and your home for the holidays, keep a few things in mind. With these tips, you can enjoy the festivities and worry less to boot!
Start with the crib
It’s tempting to go all out when decorating the nursery with lights, flowers, and other decorations. But remember to keep them out of the crib. Don’t fill the crib with stuffed animals, pillows or decorate the crib bars with papercrafts. Make sure to keep all decorations out of reach of the baby, especially ones that twinkle, light up, or make noises.
The easiest way to dress up the baby’s crib is to use festive sheets that are crib-safe. Sheets with cute animals or red and green patterns will fit in with holiday decor while also minimizing potential hazards for the baby.
Baby-proofing the nursery
You might have already baby-proofed the nursery and the rest of the house. But as your baby grows, so do the things they can reach. If your little one is crawling or even walking on their own, then you need to secure things like cables, lights, curtain tassels, etc. Make sure all the outlets in the house are plugged up with child-proof covers. Secure drawers and toilet lids as well.
Pay more attention to rooms like the kitchen, living room, etc where guests might take the baby. They may not be aware of potential dangers. Do not leave electronics or wires dangling from a height. It’s a tempting target for curious fingers. One idea is to get on your hands and knees and look at your home from the baby’s perspective. What attracts you and what can you reach for? Then secure everything appropriately.
Inform your guests in advance
If you’re hosting family for the holidays, make sure everyone knows that you have a newborn at home. Inform them of regular feeding or nap times, so they know to keep the noise levels down. Make sure that curious cousins and other relatives are washing their hands before touching the baby. It’s is wonderful to see the entire family dote on your child but remember it’s also flu season. And with the ongoing pandemic, it’s a good idea to wash your hands often.
Make sure everyone knows how your baby-proofing methods work and that they know not to leave electronics and wires hanging around. They should also re-lock cabinets and close gates when entering or leaving off-limits areas.
Use appropriate gates
Whether or not you can baby-proof your entire home, you can always use gates to ensure the baby stays in safe areas. As your child grows older, they can climb or otherwise unlatch some gates. So make sure you’re using something that works safely for your child. You can also put gates across specific spaces in a room such as keeping the Christmas tree out of reach.
Check toys for safety
You know exactly how hazardous a toy with small parts or that can be pulled apart. But your family may not realize that their adorable gift can be a potential choking hazard. Check all the baby gifts you get for small parts, dangly cords, and other hazards. Keep all your child-safe toys in one place in the nursery so your guests know what is safe to play with for the baby. Make sure to put them away when they’re not being used to avoid tripping over them.
Make sure to decorate the nursery and your home with these tips in mind. Keep all the twinkling lights, shiny decorations, and fragile items away from the floor. You can decorate the walls and hang streamers from the ceiling as long as your baby cannot reach there. Also, secure furniture to the wall when necessary to avoid tip-over accidents. If you’re prepared well, you will have a great time without worrying. So get ready to enjoy your first festive season with a new baby!