How to Avoid Stress when You Visit People with Your Baby
Some babies like visiting new places, while others prefer to be in familiar territory. When you visit people with your baby, they may not like the idea of your baby crawling all over the place and grabbing everything around them. It’s essential that you learn to visit people with your baby without overly stressing yourself out.
How to avoid stress when you visit people with your baby
Maybe the host doesn’t mind your baby exploring their home because, after all, babies like to discover new things wherever they are. As a parent, you must keep a close eye on your baby at all times to make sure they don’t break anything or become injured in any way.
It’s likely that your host’s house won’t be baby-proofed. Thus, it’s important to keep in mind that there may be danger zones, such as stairs, power plugs and sockets, chemicals, or sharp table corners. For this reason, we’re going to share some tips that will come in very handy when you visit people with your baby to help you avoid unnecessary stress.
Bring toys
The best thing to do is to bring a bag of toys to keep your child distracted with them. You can buy new ones or take their favorite ones from their toy box. Avoid taking noisy toys that may bother others and opt for toys that will sustain your baby’s attention for a long time.
Take everything that might be useful with you
Think of things that entertain your little explorer when you’re home or in the car and bring them with you. It can be a blanket, a stuffed animal, or any toy they really love. Your little one will enjoy the visit because they’ll have the object of their affection with them, which offers them comfort and safety.
Beware of safety issues
As we discussed above, visits with a baby who just wants to move around are difficult, especially if you’re in a home that’s not baby-proofed. If you want to avoid physically following your baby around the entire house, bring some safety tools with you, such as outlet plug covers and a folding baby gate for the stairs.
When you arrive, evaluate the space and ask your hosts if they can store chemicals, medications, or fragile vases during your visit. Remember that, even if you eliminate some dangers, you need to keep an eye on your baby during the entire visit.
Feeding when you visit people with your baby
If your baby already eats solid foods, you can bring some of the foods they really like with you to the visit. You can bring as much food as you think necessary to satisfy their hunger while you’re visiting your friend or family’s home. If you’re still breastfeeding your baby and they’re hungry, feed them right away. Don’t wait to feed them until you get home.
You can be considerate of other people’s sensibilities. This doesn’t mean you should hide to breastfeed your baby. Nevertheless, your efforts to be discreet can help others feel more comfortable watching you breastfeed your baby.
Don’t forget the changing mat
This way, you’ll protect any area where you have to change your baby. If you don’t have one or you forgot it, ask the host for a towel. Ask your friend or family member where they prefer you to change your baby or suggest a location like a bed. Ask for plastic bags to dispose of dirty diapers in the trash can outside your host’s home.
Naps during visits
If your little one likes to nap in a crib, a good option is to bring a portable crib to your host’s house, especially if you plan to spend the entire day there. Another option is for your baby to sleep in your arms. Either way, don’t leave your baby alone.
An excellent nap solution is to take your car seat inside your host’s home and securely strap your baby in. Nevertheless, it’s best for you to look for the solution that best suits your baby and the context you find yourself in.