SET UP A BABY DEN – If you are not going to be in your own home, try and plan where your baby may be able to have a quiet space to chill if they need a nap or some peace from the chaos (you may want that too!).
CHILL AND SHARE – If ever there was a time to sit back a bit and share the workload of Christmas, this is your moment!!
SHOPPING – Try and be as organised as possible in advance. Having things bought and wrapped early will take the pressure off. Can you treat friends and family to a treatment or lunch locally and buy vouchers instead of getting stressed in shopping centres?
FATHER CHRISTMAS – If you have older children, it is a fantastic feeling to get everything ready for Santa coming as early as possible! I ended up in hospital with one of our children for nearly 4 days the week before Christmas (chest infection) and I never ever left things to the last minute from then on!!
BE HONEST – Ask family for help, to bring something, to be understanding that you haven’t had time to go shopping, that you are tired, emotional, super excited or however you are feeling (let’s face it, the multitude of extra hormones are maybe still cascading around your body).
Share how you yourself are feeling emotionally (in addition to any Christmas help you may need). Your family will respect your honesty and will hopefully understand.
ENJOY WHAT WILL BE (Or not be!) – Life can be perfect, but can also be imperfect. Don’t think too much ahead. Don’t imagine a perfect scenario. We must be prepared for change.
ENJOY – I truly hope you have a wonderful, special, and magical time.
Stay relaxed where possible and don’t give yourself some Superwoman/Superman expectations – we are real people.
Forget the perfect Insta moment. Let’s face it, how often are they true to real life?
Sit back and take Christmas for what it is.
Family all the way.
#parents #wegotthis #together
Hils Robson founded Best Beginning in 2009 and is an award-winning Infant Massage Instructor, Doula and Mother of 4. During lockdown, she and her husband filmed and produced an online baby massage guide to help parents learn from their homes. This step-by-step guide is emailed immediately after purchase and parents can start learning how to massage their babies within minutes (and has lots of other baby tips throughout the easy to follow videos). Hils is passionate about helping parents enjoying life with a baby and being the parent they want to be. For more information, visit www.bestbeginning.co.uk or follow on Facebook or Instagram.
