Holidays with a new baby
The holiday season is a stressful time; especially for new moms. You are being pulled in a million different directions to different family and friend events. Everyone wants to experience the holiday with the baby and often it is at the expense of the parents. I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t need to be stressful.
Set boundaries and be clear with your expectations.
Let everyone know what your expectations are for the holiday, be clear and direct. Your family and friends should honor the fact that you now have your own family and are creating your own family traditions. Before the holiday, discuss when they should expect to see you and for how long and try your best to stick to those guidelines. If they are coming to you, remind them of the timeline and if they overstay it is okay to ask them to leave.
Setting boundaries is so important for your own wellbeing, holidays are overwhelming and boundaries can help you control the overwhelm.
Just because the calendar says to celebrate a holiday on a certain date does not mean you have to.
Growing up I had 3 days of Christmas because we would go to different grandparents houses before or after actual Christmas day. As a kid this made the holiday that much more exciting, my time with my family wasn’t rushed and I didn’t spend hours in the car traveling to and from different family members' houses.
It’s okay to ask family members if you can celebrate with them on a different day. Remind them that this may lead to them being able to spend more time with you and the baby as you won’t have to leave to go visit with someone else.
Gift giving during the holidays.
Gifts can quickly become overwhelming during the holidays. I like to create a very specific list for my daughter. I send it to all the family members who want to get her gifts so they can see what she actually needs and we cut down on items she may never use. I often like to stick to more practical items for gifts such as diapers, wipes or snacks, especially for a baby's first Christmas.
This isn’t to sound ungrateful of other gifts you may receive, but rather to give your family a better idea of what actually may be useful to you during this time.
Remember:
If you start to feel yourself getting overwhelmed or stressed, it’s okay to take your baby and step away.
You will probably get some unwanted advice, just nod your head and keep doing what you know is best for you and your baby.
It is okay to ask for your baby back.
Stick to your boundaries and don’t let people guilt you out of them.
Start your own fun family traditions!
