Now what?!
After we brought our newborn daughter home and the initial excitement of learning how to keep her alive wore off, I started wondering, “What exactly are we supposed to DO with a baby?” I started researching ways to prove I was incompetent or that something was wrong with her. I read parenting books so I’d “get it right” in the future but all that did was fuel my worry engine. Add some sleep deprivation and I nearly lost my mind after the first month.
The only thing that helped was to get out of the house, each and every day. New parents, take note: Yes, it’s inconvenient, but your baby needs to get some stimulation every day. The sooner you get out and join the parent community, the happier you (and by extension, your child) will be.
Plus, as you'll soon find out, it’s actually sometimes easier to get in shape (and eat out, and see a movie, and go to museums) with a wee baby in tow versus a dawdling toddler.
Here are some of our favorite activities to do with babies and toddlers so you (and they) can get the support and social engagement you need. Use the arrows above the image to scroll through all the ideas!
