Summer Activities for Parents with Newborns
Fortunately, there are several summer activities for parents with newborns. Although their duration isn’t excessive, they do allow you to enjoy very pleasant moments.
So, if you’ve recently become a mother, don’t be overwhelmed because you won’t spend the summer locked up. You have several alternatives at your disposal and you only have to know them to take advantage of them. Up next, we’ll talk about a few.
Precautions we must take with newborns during summer
Before proceeding with the planning of summer activities, we must talk about certain precautions. The reason is that, even though the gestation period in the womb has ended, newborns are still in a full maturing stage. In fact, they’ll be like this for a few more years.
Their bodies and senses haven’t developed enough yet. This also includes the immune system, among others. For this reason, summertime and everything it brings make it necessary for us to take special precautions into account.
Here are some precautions to take:
- Exposure to the sun: due to the fragile nature of babies’ skin, we should avoid contact with the sun as much as possible. This is true during outdoor moments, even if the baby is dressed and in the shade.
- Hydration: the body usually expels a part of its water reserves to regulate its temperature. Hence, it’s important to give children plenty of liquids. If they still drink breast milk, that will be enough.
- Avoid taking newborns to the beach until they’re 6 months old at least.
- Don’t overdress them with many layers: this could cause excessive sweating and skin irritation.
- Protect them from mosquitoes; they’re very frequent during this season.
Ideas for summer activities for parents with newborns
Once we have the above guidelines in mind, we can begin to plan summer activities for parents with newborns. Although it’s true that circumstances limit us in several aspects, we can consider the following suggestions:
1. Play with the baby
Newborns are at a stage in their lives where they’re developing their senses. To help them in this process, nothing is better than keeping them company and playing with them.
Games with eye gestures or with the hands will allow them to coordinate their movements little by little and learn to fix their sight on things.
Moreover, if we talk to them in a loving way and accompany our voice with gentle caresses, they’ll quickly identify their mother’s voice and it will transmit tranquility.
To alleviate the climatic circumstances, try to find a cool place, but not too much. Babies are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. If you’re going to use the air conditioner, turn it on before taking the baby into the room and place it at a low setting.
The room should be cool, never cold. Remember, what can be cool for an adult can be too cold for a baby.
2. Help them in getting to know their bodies
During their first month of life, babies aren’t aware of how to use different parts of their body. However, they do perform some innate reflexes, like the stepping reflex.
It’s a good time to encourage them to touch and hold things with their hands or to move their heads in different directions.
After the second month of your baby’s life, you’ll see that he or she enters a new phase of greater sociability. Your baby will interact more with his surroundings and his movements will begin to have a specific purpose.
3. Occasional walks
Unlike winter, when low temperatures force us to stay sheltered, summer can be a good time to spend outdoors. If your baby is a few days old, you’ll surely wonder if it’s advisable to do so.
The answer is yes, as long as you take some careful measures into account. In addition to the sun exposure we mentioned, you should avoid high temperatures, wind, or the change of weather at night.
Starting the second week of life, babies will be ready to spend a few minutes outside. Make sure they’re always protected. The trolley accessories can be very helpful. The fresh air will help them relax. This will result in better rest and a quiet mood.
“To alleviate the climatic circumstances, try to find a cool place, but not too much. Babies are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature.”
4. Don’t forget the time for yourself
Newborns sleep for most part of the day. You can take advantage of these quiet moments at time and take time for yourself.
If you’re looking for relaxation, the number one alternative, in terms of summer activities for parents with newborns, is to go out and relax. For example, you can take a dip in the pool or take a walk. Logically, you’ll need someone to take care of the baby for a few minutes.
At night, you can take advantage of the cool breeze while you drink something on the balcony or in the patio, accompanied or alone. Summer is an ideal season to connect with nature, as long as we avoid the hours of intense heat and sun.
As you can see, there’s a wide array of summer activities for parents with newborns. You don’t have to deprive yourself of the great pleasures of the summer season: you just have to find the right moment and take certain precautions to take care of your health and that of the baby’s.