6 Tips for Your First Holiday Season with Baby

The holidays are an exciting excuse to spend time with family and loved ones. Your relatives will be especially excited to spend time with one of the newest members of the family, your baby! Here are some tips to prepare for baby’s first holiday:

Ask Ahead

If you’re unsure about the setup, ask ahead. This will help you be able to plan for things you might need. Find out if there will be a quiet room where you can feed baby and put them down for a nap or if you’ll need to bring a pack and play or other big items if you’re staying a little longer. It’s hard to pack light with a baby so before you leave, call to find out what you don’t have to worry about bringing.

Encourage Hand-Washing

Cold and flu season can be in full swing this time of year. Everyone will want their turn to hold your baby, but a polite ask to wash hands beforehand is perfectly okay.

Don’t Bring Every Toy

Remember all those people that are excited to see and play with baby? Let them! A room full of friends and family is built-in entertainment. Bring a favorite blanket and maybe one other toy and leave the rest at home. There will be so much going on, baby won’t even notice!

Make Sure Your Car Has a Safety Kit

This is good advice for all of us but it’s especially important when travelling with baby, particularly when you’re in areas that can expect bad weather this time of year. Include items such as hand wipes, safe water and snacks (if baby is eating solids), flashlight, first-aid kit, basic toolkit, and blankets.

Don’t forget, we have an entire blog post about Traveling With Baby including a few ideas for if you’re flying to your holiday destination.

Remember Not Everyone’s House is Baby-Proofed

Homes with kids who are older or grown up may not have the safety precautions you rely on at home. Make sure to keep a close eye on baby so they don’t explore an unsafe area.

Start Your Own Tradition

Now that you have a new family member, consider starting a new family tradition, like reading a special holiday book.

We hope these tips will help make your baby’s first holiday more magical than ever!