The holiday season is fast approaching! Snow will soon blanket the grounds, and decorations will light up the night. Fires will be lit, and homes will fill up with the smells of delicious family feasts. It’s a magical time, especially when there’s a brand new little one to share it with!
But when too many seasonal must-do’s pile up on top of baby duties, your stress levels can rise, making the magic feel more like madness. To help you make the most of your baby’s first holiday, Adoption Choices of Oklahoma compiled a list of do’s and don’ts.
Don’t Drown in Decorations and Gifts
Don’t knock yourself out by putting an endless supply of gifts under your tree. Your little one hasn’t grasped the concept of presents just yet. It’s true – your baby’s not going to remember the holiday, and he or she certainly won’t understand what present he or she is receiving. The same logic holds when you decorate.
Do Start Your Own Tradition
Amidst the frenzy of the season, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s really important. So, this year, with the arrival of your family’s newest member, there’s no better time to start a tradition. Consider reading a special holiday book, gathering to watch a special movie, or baking until your heart’s content.
Don’t Bring Every Toy
Remember all those people that are excited to see and play with your newborn? 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!
Do Encourage Hand-Washing
Cold and flu season is in full swing this time of year. Everyone will want their turn in holding your baby, but a polite ask for them to wash their hands beforehand is perfectly okay.
Don’t Feel Compelled to Take a Long Trip
If your little one is only a few weeks old, or you’re absolutely exhausted from balancing work and motherhood, celebrate with a low-pressure holiday at home. Instead of risking being snowed in at an airport with a newborn, schedule a family visit for another time with less pressure and less risk of travel delays.
Do Keep Things Sane
Between cooking, entertaining, and making plans, your to-do list is a mile long. Your baby can sense your stress. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to make the holiday perfect. As you’re bouncing from party to party or hitting the road, try keeping to your child’s schedule. For him or her, it’s no different from any other day.
Your Baby’s First Holiday
You keep dreaming about all the fun and cozy holidays that await you and your newborn. As an adoptive parent, you’ve been waiting for these dreams to become reality. Now that they’re almost upon you, it’s important to remember that you’re still adjusting to parenthood. Go easy! We hope these tips help make your baby’s first holiday season more magical than you imagined!
Adoption Choices of Oklahoma
If you are currently in the process of adopting a baby and have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact, Adoption Choices of Oklahoma. You may visit our website here or call 405-794-7500 (Oklahoma City) or 918-982-6220 (Tulsa).
Support Adoption Choices
Adoption Choices, Inc. is partnering with Crowdrise, a fundraising website for nonprofits, to help our adoptive parents and birth parents with much needed financial assistance. We understand that expenses keep clients from fulfilling their dreams. Both with birth parents making a plan for adoption, and with adoptive parents growing their family. It is our mission to provide financial assistance through grants and scholarships, awarded annually in November, in honor of National Adoption Month. Funds assist adoptive parents with matching and placements, adoption finalization and helping birth mothers improve their lives through higher education — and much more.
However, we can’t do it alone. Please read up on our programs and donate money where you are able. Your donation will make a huge impact.
About the Author
Patience Bramlett, a University of Southern Mississippi news editorial graduate, is a seasoned and award-winning freelance writer. She is also a passionate reader, whose only wish is to live life without fear of the unknown. Her motivation and inspiration to live her best life stems from the words of John Lennon:
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
This year, she’s officially joining Adoption Choices Inc. as a Content Writer. Fueled by her love of family, she hopes to educate those looking to grow their families through adoption.
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Bibliography:
Cooper, Catherine. “Top 10 Tips: Your First Holiday With A Baby.” Huffpost, The Huffington Post, 22 May 2015, https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/06/11/top-10-tips-your-first-holiday-with-a-baby_n_7396764.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJTyF-4Y7L-_IRef1LioTQ8z3f-Nu7yGC54S7iZtC4mQnOFYnA25y2E4zQHUfm5W0jO1UNXIaKQXCzNHxJXaPOyc-nHcSUJshoCbwMRrBnmpb7Wzn_HlvIA-O7_TwaSkwAsJeA2-FGkpnjnfBoZFcjOqiqHUW-yYPRFOgn2hYPh6.
Murkoff, Heidi. “Your Baby’s First Holiday Season.” What to Expect, WhattoExpect, 18 Dec. 2018, https://www.whattoexpect.com/ask-heidi/your-babys-first-holiday-season.aspx.
