Hi Friends!
With all the craziness going on in the world right now, I thought I would try and provide a little positivity and escape by sharing our morning routine. These are a few of the things we’ve been doing to pep ourselves up and will hopefully give you some ideas for entertaining a 6 month old baby, to make what can be a really long day more fun!
(None of these things are groundbreaking - but sometimes we just need a reminder of how to make the everyday moments and tasks a bit more magical)
I know given the gravity of the Covid-19 situation, a blog post like this might seem a little frivolous, (particularly when so many people are in really tough circumstances right now), but given that, for a lot of us, the best thing we can do is stay at home, I figured I would try to spread a little happiness in my own small way, and hopefully help some other mumma’s who might be finding the social distancing/quarantine really challenging.
Last week I was getting up and immediately reading the news, as well as constantly checking it throughout the day whenever I had a spare moment, and while I think it’s super important to remain informed, I realised it was just getting to an unhealthy level. So now I’ve been limiting myself to just checking in a few times a day, and distracting myself with these things.
Please note - we don’t always do all of them and it doesn’t always go as smoothly as this list might make it seem! haha - this would be an ideal morning!
1) Start the morning well! Wake up and snuggle + a little feed
For Ruby, mornings seem to be her happiest time (she’s like her mumma - an early bird!) She is (almost) always super smiley and just extra gorgeous in the mornings :)
I love pulling her out of her cot and into bed with me for some cuddles and a chat. Having this be the first thing I do in the morning, before checking my phone has really helped in getting the day off to a good start! It’s such a simple thing but can be really hard to do when we’re so addicted to our phones!
After a little cuddle and play time she’ll usually have some milk and then I’ll spend a few minutes checking the news/instagram etc.
2) Make the effort to get ready - even when we’re not going anywhere
Even if you’re staying home and not going anywhere (thanks a lot corona virus... but really I feel so so grateful for the ability to stay home right now, when a lot of people aren’t able to), I think it helps SO MUCH if you just spend a small amount of time getting properly dressed and making yourself feel a bit nicer!
I put Ruby in her bouncer with some toys which occupies her for a short time and gives me a moment to do my skincare routine and just put on a little makeup (literally just concealer and a bright lip colour. Some people might think putting on makeup just to be at home is silly but I enjoy it and it makes me feel way better!)
I usually chat with Ruby the whole time I’m doing this - telling her what I’m doing, making up silly songs etc and it keeps her really entertained. I always bend down and show her when I’m brushing my teeth too! She doesn’t have any teeth yet but I figure it’s never too early to start introducing her to good habits!
3) Dance party in front of the mirror
Another thing that has added a lot of fun to our mornings is our daily dance party. We do this in front of the mirror because babies just loooove looking at their reflections and it always seems to make her smile. It gives me a bit of exercise too - lifting an 8.5kg baby over your head is a pretty good workout! :)
Current favourite songs have been Sweet Caroline, Be My Forever and Daydream Believer.
4) Tummy time while I get breakfast ready & do a few chores
We head into the kitchen/living room area and I put Ruby down for some tummy time.
She’s at the stage where she’s actually quite happy on her tummy now and can pivot around but not actually move yet! (I’m enjoying this time while it lasts - I know everything will change once she’s on the move!!)
For mum’s with younger baby’s - they will eventually like tummy time, I promise! - Ruby absolutely hated it until one day she didn’t!
While she’s on the floor playing and reasonably happy by herself, I like to use this time to listen to part of a podcast or watch a youtube video while I do a few things like empty the dishwasher, put on a load of laundry and get breakfast ready for us. This way I feel like I’m getting to do something for me, rather than just chores!
I used to feel guilty if I wasn’t constantly talking and entertaining Ruby but I realised it’s probably a good thing for her to learn to just play by herself sometimes (and it’s usually only for a very short time anyway)
5) Time to eat!
Ruby is now eating solids, and although I was hesitant at first, it is a lot of fun and a nice activity to keep her entertained too! (Although, as I had expected, the mess is killing me!!)
My tips would be to get one of the silicone bibs that has the little scoop at the front. It’s great as it collects most of the dropped food and is also much easier to just rinse off! This waterproof one from Snuggle Hunny Kids (that she’s wearing in the pic) is also handy and super cute . Maybe not quite as effective as the other one, but, you know - fashun :p
As it’s summer I tend to undress her so she’s only in a nappy because it gets SO messy and I prefer to minimise the laundry as much as possible! I also have this smock style bib which covers her arms which I will probably use more when the weather gets cooler!
We’re doing a bit of “baby led weaning” (should be called “baby led feeding”) which is where you give them chunks of soft food and they learn to feed themselves, rather than giving purees (although we are still doing some puree’d food)
I’d recommend checking out this video by Hapa Family on youtube if it’s something you’re interested in. It’s a lot of fun watching as they learn to pick up their food and feed themselves!
6) Singing songs during bath time
Since starting solids I’ve actually started giving Ruby two baths a day, because she makes so much mess and I find it easier to just give her a bath rather than trying to wipe her down!
Her morning bath is another activity that keeps her entertained (and there’s nothing better than a nice clean baby right?)
I try to always sing her this song while she’s in the bath to make it a bit more fun for both of us and she seems to find it a lot of fun! Iif you’re ever stuck for song ideas, there’s a “50 years of Play School” album on spotify. The Wiggles songs are also always a hit!
Splish splash splosh I was having a wash.
Splosh splash splish I’m as wet as a fish.
Soap on my body, shampoo in my hair.
Scrub a dub dub now I’m clean everywhere.
Splish, splash, splish, splash sposh.
I’m having a wash!
7) Tummy time again while I clean up & eat my breakfast
Since Ruby’s started eating I sometimes feel like all I do is clean up after her… not gonna lie - the mess is kinda killing me… but, if that’s all I have to complain about then life is pretty good!
Once I’ve tidied up I’ll then usually eat my breakfast and have a cup of tea. If she’s grumbly I’ll sit and play on the floor with her while I’m eating, but if she’s happy just chilling on her own I’ll use this time to just chill a little.
8) Face Time/Zoom call with family or friends
Seeing as we’re all social distancing at the moment, my grandparents haven’t had a chance to see Ruby for a few weeks and they’re really missing her. We’ve started doing a daily Face time chat to stay connected and it’s a fun little addition to the morning and I’m sure it brightens their day too!
We’re also doing a weekly mother’s group catch up on Zoom seeing as we can’t meet up in person at the moment and that’s always a highlight! I think it’s so important to be able to check in and connect with other mum’s during this time!
If you’re wanting to set up your own group call it’s super easy - you just have to go to zoom and sign up for a free account. You can then then send the link to the meeting to everyone! Easy peasy!
9) Our own “Rhyme Time”
Before all the coronavirus craziness, we were going to the library’s free Baby Rhyme Time sessions a few times a week, which basically just involved everyone getting together and singing a whole bunch of fun rhymes and doing the actions (apparently very good for baby’s language development!)
Even though we’re not able to do that at the moment, I’ve still been trying to have our own little rhyme time session at home which has been fun.
I might do a separate post sharing our favourite rhymes if anyone needs a little inspiration!
10) Out for a walk
I know not everyone is able to go out for a walk at the moment, but we’re still able to (for now) and I’m making the most of it while we can! Getting outside even just for a short time helps so much and if I’m lucky, by this time Ruby will end up falling asleep in her pram (doesn’t always happen but a bonus if it does!)
So that’s our morning routine at the moment! I really love our mornings and feel like (for the moment) we’ve got a good rhythm going! The afternoons tend to be the crazy times for me and I haven’t quite mastered those :p but hopefully this has given you a few ideas of ways to make the day a bit more fun!
Let me know what your favourite activity to do with your bub is? (Or, if you’re not a mum, what’s been your fave way to pep yourself up during this time?) - Leave a comment or come say hi over on Instagram @laurennatalia.co
I hope you’re all staying as safe and well as possible
Lots of Love
Lauren
xxx