Festive-Proofing Your Baby

Meeting up friends and family, binge eating, staying up till the wee hours While the festivities bring in a lot of cheer, they can also be harsh on your little ones well-being. Heres why you need to make merry with caution...

- Reshma O Pathare

We all look forward to the festive season – a legitimate excuse to ‘eat, sleep, repeat’. Meeting up friends and family, hosting people at home, forsaking diets to indulge in binge eating, staying up till the wee hours gossiping with that favourite cousin… the festive season brings in a much needed respite from the routine and pressures of daily life.

However, while the festivities can bring in a lot of cheer for us adults, it can be a tricky time for toddlers and children, with their regular routine getting upset. As parents, you need to be prepared for a shift in mood for your toddler, and some niggles to go along.

Here are some tell-tale signs that your child is finding it difficult to cope with the festivities, and tips to make the inclusion a happier one for you and her.

PROBLEM

“Most children grow up in a nuclear set-up, with mostly gadgets for company. They are used to an isolated, cocooned existence, and may find it difficult to cope with a lot of people trooping over, or having to visit many people over a small period of time” – Psychologist Anastasia Dedhia, Mind Mantra, Mumbai

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