Getting through the end of year festivities is a test of endurance for many of us, but if your family has the joyous addition of a new baby, we can end up feeling tested beyond our limits. 

​The seemingly endless round of school concerts and end of year parties, not to mention the preparations for your family's celebrations, not only leaves us a little flustered, but our babies can really struggle with the constant comings and goings, being held by strangers and general stimulus.

So, our team has put together our top tips for not only surviving, but actually thriving through this period.

1. ​Be choosy with your outings and your visits at home as well.  Babies are very easily over stimulated and exhausted, so be conservative in your choice of trips out - and your guests.  This approach also reduces the risk of your baby contracting any illness.  Generally, a day off in between visits or outings is a good guide if you have a young baby.  It's also worth being prepared for an unsettled evening after a busy day. 
   
   Stress hormones are found in tears, so, like for all of us, crying will be a key stress release mechanism for your baby as well.  When you come home, move to a quiet, dimly lit room together so your baby can recover from an stimulated nervous system.  Your baby may want to cry for a while before settling down to a feed, and perhaps a little more crying, before falling asleep.  Dr Marion Rose writes extensively on this subject.
2. Keep your trips away from home to a minimum.  Young babies need time to adjust to life on the outside. If you have a newborn baby, consider staying close to home this season.  You'll never get these early months back with your child, try to create enough space to enjoy it.
3. Well-meaning family members can sometimes be a little too eager with their advice on pretty much anything to do with raising your baby. Practice mindfulness and setting healthy boundaries as your little one meets extended family and friends.  This article by Neonatal Paediatrician ​and grandfather Dr Howard Chilton is helpful reading for grandparents.
4. Consider the family rituals and traditions you would like to be part of your family life. Creating family rituals instills a sense of belonging and meaning from an early age.  Storyteller Annie Bryant has some wonderful inspiration for your own home at this time of year.
5. If you are breastfeeding, allow yourself to enjoy a guilt free drink or two. Check out how many drinks you can have and prepare yourself with information as there is no need to “pump anddump” or not drink at all. Read Jack Newman's advice on breastfeeding and alcohol here. You can also download the Feed Safe app for your smart phone for on hand information. 
6. If you're partnered, it's important to discuss how the holiday season can be navigated together, with baby’s needs at the centre of the discussions.  You may both have different values, ideas and expectations around the festive seasons, family visits and parenting generally.  And many adults arrive into parenthood with their own family histories that are complex and triggering around this time of year.  The more the two of you are attuned, protective and caring of each other, the more baby is going to feel the safe and secure benefits of your decisions.  All of which are important for a baby’s neural integration and overall health.

We also have a podcast on life with a newborn during the festive season with Dr Howard Chilton, filled with insights into newborns and how to best meet their needs.

Let's face it, we could ALL do with more help than we have.  This mighty job of raising children takes more than just one or two parents.  As the saying goes "It takes a village to raise a child", so make sure you reach out to services such as these for support:

• The Australian Breastfeeding Association have a 24 hour helpline to help with feeding and settling issues on 1300 686 268.
• Dr Robyn Thompson shares her decades of experience with supporting new mothers with breastfeedings issues for free here.
• The Australian government's Health Direct service "Pregnancy Birth and Baby" have a 24 hour hotline for parents on ph 1800 882 436.

“I don't even remember the season. I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere.” Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. 

The need for foster carers is colossal and growing. Children entering the foster system far outstrip the amount of carers able to house them. Carers often get told they are ‘angels’, or an ‘inspiration’. 

‘I wish I could do what you do.’ people say.
 ‘You could.’ They answer.

Still, in society such as ours, which upholds love, belonging and family to the degree we do, numbers of carers are shamefully lower than they should be. Perhaps this is due to limited understanding about foster care itself. For example did you know there are many ways to become a foster carer? 

There is such a thing as respite foster care and this lesser known cousin of foster care offers multitudes of avenues to help young people in need of homes, and in need of care. 

The length of the stay can vary wildly- a respite career may offer only emergency respite care, if there has been a placement breakdown. This may be only a few days or a bit longer. Alternatively a respite carer may decide short term respite care is for them - and this could also be a few days, or be over a weekend or for a month, for as many years as you’d like. 

In terms of foster care, if there is a will, there is a way.

​In this podcast you can find out more about foster care, including respite foster care from our guest Chelsea.

If you think you’d like to explore respite foster caring, and would like to find out more, you can contact: 
http://canifoster.com.au/ or call any foster agency in your region.  

​Shop around. It’s worth it.
​​
​Changing a young person’s life could possibly be the most rewarding thing you’ve ever done.

By Kimberley Lipschus