Independence Day and Your Newborn
Author: Stef Daniel
The visions of new parents are full of innocence and optimism. Every Fourth of July, seated on vast lawns across the United States, families sit perched to watch the magnificent display of fireworks in the sky. Then, at dusk as the sonic booms and flashes start catapulting through the skies - these same lawns are filled with screaming babies and moms scrambling to get to the safety of the car. Definitely not how you imagined spending your first Independence Day with your baby. Too often as parents, the excitement of sharing moments and building memories has us hurrying milestones and leaving us disappointed about the outcome. Independence Day can be one of those things as the loud noises, bright colors, late hours and over population of people can over stimulate, and frighten babies.
This doesn't mean that the whole day has to be a bust. In fact, for the newborn, there are still plenty of activities on this special holiday that they can and will enjoy. They will love meeting and greeting family members and friends at backyard barbeques. This new socialization will bring them new faces to look at and plenty of opportunity to be held by all the family members who have yet to meet your baby. Introducing them to cousins and friends is a proud moment for new parents and you are reminded to take lots and lots of pictures. You also will find that some of the most adorable outfits for babies are available on the days leading to Independence Day - and your baby can become a star in her new clothes.
Parades are often common on Independence Day and small babies will love having the chance to see all the animated creatures and will find the music and tempo of the event exciting and fun. From their vantage point in the stroller or in your arms, they will often kick and wiggle with excitement as the floats stroll by. In fact, all of their senses from smell to hearing can be triggered on this festive day.
As the day draws to an end, new parents should expect their baby to be tired. If you have older children, the evening festivities prove to be a perfect time for making memories with them and leaving the little one in the safety and quiet of trusted hands for an hour or two. It is easy to get lost in the 'doing' of having another baby in the house and quite often, the older kids pay the price of your time. Just because the baby may not enjoy or benefit from the fireworks, doesn't mean that some 'grown up' time with the older kids should be out of the question. If your one and only baby is a newborn, make the evening a date night and spend some time under the magical brilliance of fireworks simply dating your spouse again. While it might feel difficult to leave baby, you can rest assured that they will not remember it or hold a grudge at this age. Whatever you do - enjoy the day with your family and give thanks for all the people who made your life, just the way it is.
