Face parties through the baby’s eyes

A newborn baby will not be able to participate much in the party atmosphere, but he will certainly be interested in the colors, lights and typical end-of-the-year music.

As soon as a child is born, he can only see things that are between 20 and 35 centimeters from his eyes. So hold her on your lap to show her the tree or Christmas ornaments, or place a mattress or duvet on the floor so she can watch the tree lights if you have one in the living room.

Starting……

At 1 month, your baby will be hypnotized by anything that passes before their eyes. Try dangling a colorful (unbreakable) ornament near his face, or crumpling a wrapping paper under your child’s gaze. He will like the noise.

Babies of this age love to receive affection, arms and smiles: they are fascinated by human faces and are still too young to find strange people they don’t know well. Lucky for the relatives, who will be able to drool a lot.

Despite this, be careful that your child doesn’t spend the entire night from lap to lap and return home exhausted and in a bad mood.

Around 5 or 6 months, the child begins to distinguish familiar faces and may start to cry if he goes into the lap of someone he doesn’t know. So that this doesn’t happen, try to give the baby some time to get used to the new faces.

As a baby’s hearing is fully developed at around 1 month of age, he will pay close attention to the voices around him.

Also take the opportunity to read some special story. It’s okay if he still doesn’t understand exactly what you’re saying — the stimulus will be positive for development.

Do I need to take special care at parties?

Newborns have sensitive hearing and are startled by loud sounds. So, if the party is especially noisy, try to leave it in a quieter place. Take special care with the noise of rockets and fireworks.

“If the fires are close to your house, try to close windows and doors to try to muffle the sound intensity”, recommends pediatrician Fábio R. Picchi Martins, a member of the BabyCenter Medical Council.

According to him, it is no use putting cotton in the child’s ear to soften the sound, because, in addition to being of little help, there is also the risk of a foreign body being forgotten in the area.

In the excitement of the festivities, it’s easy to forget that so many new faces, sounds and novelties can overstimulate a very young baby, leaving them restless and uncomfortable.

Pay close attention to the signals your child gives you: put him to sleep at the first sign of drowsiness (rubbing eyes and ears, irritability). And if he’s especially nervous, try to stay in a quieter place for a while.

Newborns still have a developing nervous system and are therefore very susceptible to overstimulation. After the party is over and everyone goes home, you find yourself with a baby who just cries and can’t calm down and sleep at all. Children who suffer from colic seem to be more sensitive to stimulation than others.

One of the biggest sources of this type of problem is the mess in the baby’s schedule, due to social events. Whenever possible, try to preserve at least the routine of bedtime and waking up.

It’s better to find a quieter room and spend some time trying to get the baby to fall asleep than to spend the whole day with a child who is irritable and nervous because he is too tired.

year-end trips

It may be hard to believe, but traveling with a tiny baby is a lot easier than hitting the road with a toddler. So, don’t be intimidated and face the trip with your baby. He’s likely to sleep the entire way, but take some toy or booklet for him to distract himself when he’s awake.

Keep in mind that congestion and flight delays are much more common at the end of the year, so plan ahead by carrying more diapers and changing clothes.

Attention to safety during the holiday season

The more cars on the road, the greater the risk of accidents. Don’t forget to always walk your child in the car seat, securely fastened.

The car seat can also be used when traveling by plane: it guarantees the baby’s safety in case of turbulence and everyone’s comfort when taking a nap on the flight.

The most common accidents with babies up to 6 months of age are falls – from beds, changing mats, high chairs or comfort babies -, as well as burns caused by hot liquids.

If you are staying at a relative’s house, or in a different place, you need to reinforce your surveillance: old cribs can be unsafe. The space between the bars of the crib, for example, has to be smaller than a soda can horizontally, otherwise the baby runs the risk of getting his head stuck.

By 4 or 5 months, your baby will likely be able to roll on his own and grab objects. So beware of things like candy, nuts, ornaments, and pieces of gift wrap that your baby might put in his mouth and choke.

If you’re away from home or with a lot of people, it’s good to double your attention because adults who don’t live with babies are less used to the light hands that can end up unduly reaching a pot of chestnuts.

Resist the temptation to hang a toy or an ornament where your child goes to sleep. The cord can cause strangulation in a matter of minutes.

How to choose the right gift

Soft, contrasting colored books and toys are the surest bet to please little babies. For newborns, toys that move slowly or play soft music are ideal.

Despite the mention of soft, manageable books, it’s worth remembering that regular books are a great gift for any age — an adult can read the story to the baby, and the gift will last for years and years.

 

Between 3 and 6 months, the baby discovers his hands and starts to want to pick up toys. For this age, toys that make noise when shaken, such as rattles, are ideal.

It is also at this age that the child begins to learn to roll and sit — and puts everything in his mouth. Always check the packaging to see if the toy is appropriate for her age, and see that there are no small parts that could come off.

If your child gets gifts that you don’t think are appropriate for his age, disguise them and save them for when he can use them.

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