15 Ways to Be More Present With Your Baby

The days may be long, but the years are short, as the saying goes. They frequently overlook the fact that the first year is the shortest! Bringing a new baby home is both exhilarating and worrisome, but there is so much amazing bonding can be done with your kid while they are still a baby, despite all the doubts and hard nights.

Overwhelmed parents frequently turn to social media to escape the stresses of everyday life, or pile on extra jobs and responsibilities out of shame or duty. When we do this, we are squandering crucial time with our children. Some of our habits are difficult to break, but you only have one chance to spend your child’s formative years with them, so today is a fantastic day to start working on new habits that foster connection and intimacy at this precious time.

Here are 15 easy methods to spend more time with your child. You will not be sorry for any of them!

Place your phone on the table. Sometimes urgent business must be handled, but most of the time we are preoccupied with our phones rather than our babies due to boredom, weariness, or habit. Leave it at home or in another room, shoot photos with a real camera, and keep track of time with a watch!

Make an appointment for a class. Sign up for a yoga, music, or other baby-and-me class right away. Learning and playing with your kid in a new setting can allow you to completely immerse yourself in the moment and build your bond.

Take a walk outside. Fresh air and sunshine are healthy for both of you, whether you go for a walk around the neighbourhood or put up a picnic lunch in your own lawn. Watch the cars go by, explore the textures (tree bark, grass blades), and simply enjoy this tranquil moment with your child.

For Baby, it’s “blackout” time. No matter how crazy your schedule is, set aside time to play, sing, and read a storey to your child one-on-one, with no interruptions and no agenda. Even if it simply occurs between the hours of 8 and 8:30 p.m. The importance of quality above quantity cannot be overstated.

Put your to-do list on the shelf. We often work too hard in our multitasking-obsessed world to appreciate family time. Move less urgent must-dos until tomorrow if it permits you to spend more time with that precious newborn who will only be a baby for a short while longer.

Make a list of all the things you want to do with your baby. Have you set aside some time but don’t know what to do with it? Make a list of goals and activities to accomplish with your kid in the coming weeks and months, and then cross them off as you go.

Don’t be scared to “over-indulge” your child. Physical touch, like food and relaxation, is a must for babies. Pick up your infant and hold him or her, delighting in love-snuggles for both of you. You can’t adore a baby enough!

Talk to Baby as you go about your regular activities. You may think you’re being goofy, but they’re picking up on linguistic cues and you’re slowing down to take it all in.

Say “no” to other people so that you may spend more time with Baby. It appears to be simple, and it is!

Increase your sleep time. It’ll be difficult, but make it a priority. A well-rested parent is better able to get through the challenging aspects of parenting a baby while also taking pleasure in all of the positive aspects.

Eat together, not on the fly. Avoid distracted spoon-feeding while browsing email or placing snacks on the highchair tray while cleaning after Baby starts solids. It’s incredibly soothing and nice to sit down together and purposefully talk to your child while you both eat a meal.

Instead of watching TV, listen to music. The background noise is fantastic. It’s not getting lost in the news or wasting time watching reality shows. Without the distractions, listening to music will encourage creativity and connecting, as well as dancing with your child.

Look your kid in the eyes. It’s one of the simplest tasks on the list. You don’t even need to say much or have a specific goal in mind. But make and maintain eye contact with your darling infant as often and as long as possible; the magic is in the simple exchange.

Retrain your brain. This is a difficult task, but one that can be completed. Try changing one negative thought at a time, such as “I can’t believe I’m still in here rocking him to sleep” to “I’m so lucky to have him and to be here for him.” Give it a shot, even if it sounds ridiculous… You might be surprised at how an adjustment in viewpoint affects your stress level.

Remind yourself that this is a limited amount of time. Being in the moment isn’t always easy, but saying out loud or closing your eyes for a moment and focusing on the reality that these infant days are fleeting can do a world of good in bringing you back to where you are right now.

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