Babysitting Tips for Holiday Helpers

The evenings are growing longer, and the weather is sending us all into snuggle mode. What better time of year to be with family? Visiting family over the winter holidays can be particularly exciting if you’ve got a young child in tow. While there can be challenges, there really is nothing like watching holiday magic unfold in a child’s eyes. Perhaps while you’re visiting loved ones, you and your partner may get the chance to slip away for a night out on your own. You know, the kind where the restaurant is dimly lit, the pace is slow and there is not one hint of peanut butter and jelly sandwich available on the menu. Talk about magic.

Time spent caring for little ones can be a great bonding experience for relatives, but sometimes there is some trepidation. It might have been quite some time since your parents put an infant to bed. Your younger cousin may play well with the preschooler during gatherings but be anxious about being “in charge” while you are gone.

With that challenge in mind, here are a few pointers for a fun and memorable time together for all the sainted individuals who are stepping in to cover bedtime routines to give parents a brief escape from Blippi, Play-Doh and cleaning up applesauce.

Take it Easy

The holidays are full of excitement, novelty and surprises. As you strive to comfort and provide for a young child, focus on simple, mellow moments. Set out some blank paper and markers to draw together while listening to some music. Have a stack of familiar and engaging books at hand for helping little ones relax. Have a general flow of the evening in mind but don’t be glued to the clock. Gentle transitions from one thing to another can help children feel safe.

A Familiar Rhythm

Even away from home or from parents, there can be routine and echoes of predictably comforting rituals. Ask for a list of what the child is used to each night and aim to mimic that as closely as possible. Babies as young as 3 months begin to rely on patterns to ease into a restful state, and that comfort does not cease as children grow older and more verbal. Be prepared for some moments of uneasiness as this may be new, but know that you’re already doing well if a child feels safe enough to share feelings with you.

Help a Mama Out

Keep your phone nearby so you can be reachable by the parents as the night passes. Sending updates or photos can be helpful to ease any discomfort on their part, not to mention it’s fun to share snapshots of moments together. It’s also useful if you need to ask a quick question or clarify something.

Resist the Urge to Spoil

Indulging little children is fun and a well-earned treat for grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It’s important, though, to reign in grandiose impulses that may cause issues for you, the children or the parents. Excited, sugar-laden, sleep-deprived children will be to your holiday plans as Godzilla is to a dazzling, populous city full of high-rise buildings. And the sleep-deprived, irritated parents who have had to wrangle those little firebreathers will certainly not be asking you to watch their children again.

Be in the Know

Finally, it’s critical to understand safety and be up to date on information about children in general and about the children in your care specifically. Feeding instructions, allergy issues and special needs should be communicated and followed carefully. It’s not a bad idea for all adults to be certified in CPR in the event of a medical emergency. And of course, as sleep guidance has shifted even since most 20-somethings were babies, it’s always a good idea to be up to date on how to put babies and young children to sleep.

When you approach time with your little loved ones with this mindset, you’ll find you’re given an incredible gift – a close and special relationship with someone who will count you as part of their nostalgic holiday memories.

Safe Sleep Reminders for Parents & Caregivers

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), following safe sleep practices can prevent many Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) fatalities. To reduce the risk of sleep-related infant death, the AAP recommends:

• The baby should sleep on a firm, flat non-inclined surface that, at a minimum, adheres to the June 2021 Consumer Product Safety Commission’s rule that any infant sleep product must meet existing federal safety standards for cribs, bassinets, play yards and bedside sleepers. Parents should not use products for sleep that aren’t specifically marketed for sleep.
• Sitting devices, such as car seats, strollers, swings, infant carriers and infant slings, are not recommended for routine sleep in the hospital or at home, particularly for infants younger than 4 months.
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of sleep-related infant deaths, and while any human milk feeding is more protective than none, 2 months of feeding at least partial human milk feeding has been demonstrated to significantly lower the risk of sleep-related deaths. The AAP recommends exclusive human milk feeding to 6 months, with continuation of human milk feeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by parent and infant.
• AAP recommends that parents sleep in the same room – but not in the same bed – as a baby, preferably for at least the first six months.
• Avoid parent and infant exposure to nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opioids and illicit drugs.
• Make sure the baby receives routine immunizations.
• Pacifier use is associated with reducing risk.
• Avoid the use of commercial devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS or other sleep-related deaths. There is no evidence that any of these devices reduce the risk of these deaths. Importantly, the use of products claiming to increase sleep safety may provide a false sense of security and complacency for caregivers. Do not use home cardiorespiratory monitors as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Supervised, awake tummy time is recommended to facilitate infant development and to minimize development of positional plagiocephaly. Parents are encouraged to place the infant in tummy time while awake and supervised for short periods of time beginning soon after hospital discharge, increasing incrementally to at least 15 to 30 minutes total daily by 7 weeks of age.
• There is no evidence to recommend swaddling as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS. If infants are swaddled, always place them on the back. Weighted swaddles, weighted clothing or weighted objects on or near the baby are not safe and not recommended. When an infant exhibits signs of attempting to roll (which usually occurs at 3 to 4 months but may occur earlier), swaddling is no longer appropriate, as it could increase the risk of suffocation if the swaddled infant rolls to the prone position.

Alicia Kobilnyk is an Early Childhood Educator who works with young toddlers. She finds joy and inspiration to write in their cheeky shenanigans, as well as those of her three daughters.