New Year, New Morning Routines with Your Baby
Mornings can be stressful at the best of times and whatever routine you have for yourself will go immediately out of the window when a baby comes into the picture! As the start of a new year is a great time to kickstart new routines, why not try to plan out your mornings and start off fresh this January? Read on to find out our recommendations for a calm and coordinated morning with your baby…
- Start the Night Before
The best morning routines actually start at night, and are all about preparation! Doing minor tasks in the evening before you head to bed can help you out hugely in the morning by diminishing the number of tasks you need to juggle. Try sterilising your baby’s bottles and cups, organising their nappy bag, and washing dishes and food containers in the evening so that they’re clean and ready to go first thing in the morning!
- Be the Early Bird
Get a headstart on your child by setting your alarm for half an hour earlier than they usually wake up. This might lose you a small amount of extra snooze time, but you’ll be grateful for the precious alone time it gives you instead! Take a moment to breathe, drink your breakfast beverage of choice and organise your thoughts before starting your child’s day for a more composed state of mind!
- Get Baby Going
Once you’re awake and ready to go, it’s time to wake up (or, if they’re already awake, pick up) your child and start their morning routine! After a nappy change you should take your baby into a different room or space to create a separation between sleep time and the rest of the day.
- Shower Time
It can be hard to remember yourself when you’re looking after an infant, but your needs are important, too! Rather than neglecting your own self-care, try including your baby in your bathing routine. Bathing together can be a wonderful moment for bonding, especially with older babies and toddlers who can hold themselves upright. If your child is more independent, you can keep them entertained with bath toys while you bathe - but if you’re not at that stage it’s also completely acceptable to leave your baby in a rocker or bassinet outside the shower so that you can keep an eye on them while you give yourself a scrub!
- Fuel for the Day
After bathing and dressing yourself and your child, have your breakfast together! Put your child in a high chair to contain them, and make sure that their plates are Anti-Slip so that you don’t suddenly find yourself cleaning food off the floor and walls! Make your own breakfast alongside your child’s and eat together - this will also help them to learn social rules around mealtimes.
Once you have these steps down you will have more mental space for anything unexpected that might pop up!