All the chaos of Christmas can throw your little one’s routine out. With a busier diary, even more family visits, days out that turn into evenings out and less time to commit to their usual wind-down routine, the holidays can throw their much-loved routines up in the air. As we’re in the thick of Christmas excitement, we’ve put together some useful tips, to help maintain some sort of routine and keep them calm and happy throughout the wonderful craziness that is Christmas.
Keep up with bath time
Babies don’t need a bath every single night to keep them clean, so don’t feel guilty if you’re all too tired after a long day of guests and want to skip bathtime. However, parents often find that a bath before bedtime is an easy way to help their little one wind down after a day of overstimulation. So once everyone leaves, even if it’s slightly later than usual, make the effort to indulge them in a warm soak. It doesn’t need to be as long or complicated as their usual bathtime – just a few minutes in the soothing sensation of warm water, plus the familiarity of the routine – will have the same calming effect. Then wrap them up warm in a cosy hooded towel for post-bath cuddles.
Story Time with a Baby Book or Tonies Storybox
Baby books are a lovely way to engage with your little one and an easy way to escape from all the Christmas chaos. We have plenty to choose from, with textures, colours, images and even sounds that will appeal to babies. They’re great for taking out with you too, so pop one into your changing bag then pull it out when they need a little on-the-go comfort.
If you haven’t started reading routinely to your toddler yet, use this extra time at home to start. We have such a huge range of popular books for toddlers, including this Christmas favourite The Stickman Hardback Baby Book so you’ll be spoilt for choice. Pick a couple of books to introduce over the next couple of weeks, let your little one familiarize themselves with the characters and enjoy the pictures, and use this time out from work/nursery/daily chores to build it into their nightly routine.
If your family hasn’t yet discovered the magic of a Toniebox, then this Christmas is the perfect opportunity. Treat them to this musical storybox and see how it has the power to turn day-to-day activities and family moments into memories. Whether you’re using it to play a soothing bedtime story in their nursery or to blast their favourite songs out at breakfast, a Toniebox will inject extra fun into your days. Simply upload your Toniebox with 90 minutes of songs, stories and more, then play whenever you feel the need. To kick-start the adventure, this comes pre-loaded with 1 hour of songs and stories.
Use a night light for peace of mind
If you’re travelling away this Christmas and it’s your first time taking your newborn overnight somewhere, you might be feeling anxious about how they’ll sleep. For peace of mind pack Tommee Tippee Gro Egg 2 | Nursery Night Light. It allows you to easily keep an eye on the room temperature, with a colour-coded thermometer system that glows different colours to demonstrate different room temperatures, for peace of mind. Plus, the gentle baby night light has 3 different adjustable light levels – perfect for soothing your little one or switching on for a night feed.
Keep up their feeding routine on the go
Their feeding routine is something that you’ll want to make sure you stick to, regardless of whether you’re out and about or at home. Our advice for making this easier? Stick with their favourite bottles. If you’re pumping between feeds or they’re on formula, then you’ll probably already have a favourite bottle. We love Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Anti-Colic Baby Bottles as the breast-like teat encourages latch without nipple confusion, and it has added anti-colic properties – one less thing for you to worry about while you’re busy celebrating.
Make on-the-go bottle prep as easy as it is at home with Tommee Tippee GoPrep Duo Formula Feed Maker the smaller travel-friendly version of Tommee Tippee’s must-have Perfect Prep.
Finally, if you have an older baby or toddler that still enjoys a warm bottle of milk before bedtime, then this handy travel-friendly bottle warmer means you can still create their favourite evening snack, even if you’re not at home.
Embrace the chaos while ensuring your little one remains calm and content. This Christmas, prioritize your baby's routine with Mamas & Papas' tips and a range of products designed to make parenting during the festive season a breeze.
