How to Survive The Holidays With a Toddler
Last Updated on January 22, 2024 by Allison Lancaster
This post is sponsored by Chicco. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Now that the holidays are here and in full swing, moms of babies and toddlers everywhere are wondering “how will I get it all done”? I have asked myself that question a few times lately. Between the gift buying, holiday parties and cooking endless meals, it seems like there is never enough time in the day. Parenting a toddler can add even more stress to the holiday season. Our little guy loves to be in the kitchen and involved when I am cooking, which I love, but it can also be dangerous with the safety hazards in the kitchen. Combine those hazards with the other seasonal hazards, it can seem like our job as toddler parents this time of year is to constantly keep our little ones out of things they aren’t supposed to be into. Below are a few of my favorite ways to survive the holidays with a toddler:
Minimize Your Gift List- Don’t add stress to yourself by feeling like you have to buy for everyone in the world. Why not draw names with family members or even just agree to purchase gifts for the kids instead of adults? Homemade gifts such as baked goodies, DIY ornaments, etc. are also great solutions and allow you to involve your toddler in the gift making!
Hire Some Help- Whether you need a babysitter for a few hours one evening so you can wrap gifts or you don’t have time to deep clean your house before your guests arrive, hire some help! There are plenty of other parents this time of year who would love to make some extra cash and help you out. Another idea is to do a ‘swap’ with friends- babysit their children for one night while they shop and vice versa!
Learn to Say No– Saying no is ok this time of year! Maybe it’s a holiday party or baking goodies for your older children’s class, it’s ok to say no! I am the worst about saying yes and adding more stress to myself than necessary.
Involve Your Toddler- Levi is happiest when he is involved with whatever I am doing, whether that’s cooking or wrapping gifts. He is also into everything. That means that I can’t necessarily cook while he is running around the house, it’s dangerous for him. One of the ways I’ve found to survive this season with a toddler is to ensure he’s involved but also in a safe location. His current favorite place to be is in his Chicco Polly Progress 5-in-1 Highchair! While I’m baking cookies, he can be in the kitchen with me and help decorate them in his highchair, but be a safe distance from the oven. If I’m doing other holiday chores such as wrapping gifts, I give him a small piece of the paper that he can color on in his highchair. The Chicco Polly Progress 5-in-1 Highchair has saved my sanity so many times this holiday season! Our little guy loves sitting in his chair and I love the fact that it grows with him!
