If this is Baby’s First Thanksgiving here are a few tips to ensure their first Thanksgiving is enjoyable!
Keep Routines Loose
Thanksgiving is not the day to make your whole extended family go hungry while your little one finishes a nap! Hear me out, I do understand that routines for babies are so important, but chances are during the Holiday’s things are going to need to be a little flexible. So as a Mom of 4, I encourage you to relax your baby’s schedule just a bit and let your little one enjoy the flow of the day. Maybe this means baby stays up a bit past their normal nap schedule to eat with the family or maybe they go down for nap a bit early so you can enjoy a hot meal and adult conversation. Either way, trust that your baby’s schedule can flex for one day to allow little one time to enjoy special moments while not staying so rigidly to a schedule. Bring baby’s comfort things to get good naps and eat well like a baby carrier for contact napping, a baby bjorn seat for play and naps, a great silicone bib like this one from Caden Lane for easy post meal clean up, and their favorite comfy blanket to make the day easier all around!
Comfy Clothes and an Extra Change
For littles and parents! This Thanksgiving don’t come unprepared, be sure to pack a comfy change of clothes for your little one and yourself because ACCIDENTS HAPPEN and trust me they seem to happen the most on Holidays when you’re in your best outfits! I’m loving Christmas jammies as the perfect backup outfit to a Thanksgiving outfit disaster!
Also as much as Thanksgiving is a great time to put on your best dress it’s also okay to give yourself grace and dress down if it’s easier to wear jeans or even leggings to play with your baby.
I’m loving this print for little girls as a backup or main outfit on Thanksgiving because the ruffles just have my heart!
I love this fun cookie print for little boys and you can’t go wrong already being ready for Christmas!
Try New Foods
Depending on babies age, Thanksgiving is a great time to try new foods! For Thanksgiving, I loved letting my babies try sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, mac and cheese, corn, butter beans, and depending on their age little pieces of Turkey too! Obviously, if you are experimenting with foods for the first time keep it simple with one to two flavors and monitor for any reactions. You can even make a first-time eater a special Thanksgiving food puree using pumpkin and cinnamon. If you have a very little one who is still nursing or taking a bottle this is a special time too, but think ahead about your plan of where you will feel comfortable nursing and who you feel comfortable feeding baby.
If baby is eating table food then be sure to keep them hydrated with the cutest little silicone training cup from Caden Lane.
Set Boundaries
I know I said to keep the schedule loose, but you will also want to set some boundaries for the Holiday around who you feel comfortable with your baby when you will arrive, and when you will leave. Discussing boundaries with your partner beforehand will help Thanksgiving go smoothly for the whole family. For example, if your niece has recently been sick then perhaps you discuss with your partner that you don’t feel comfortable having her hold your 3-month-old baby even though the family is insisting on a picture-perfect moment. Standing your ground and setting boundaries about what you feel comfortable allowing and not allowing is important, especially during the Holidays.
Say CHEESE!
Be sure to capture memories whether photos or videos of baby’s first Thanksgiving! Be sure to pass the camera so that you too can be in the photos and remember this special time even if you’re a bit more tired this year than last! Thanksgiving is also a special time to get photos with loved ones, but don’t feel like you have to pass the baby around like a potato to get the perfect pictures. Chances are baby will likely feel most comfortable in their parent’s arms and the picture will be just as special!
I hope these tips will help new and seasoned parents have a truly, delightful Thanksgiving. My only other advice is to take a moment while baby is resting or being held by grandparents to pour yourself a hot cup of coffee or tea and enjoy a sweet treat to just revel in how beautiful and sometimes hard Holiday’s can be with a baby in tow!