Christmas visiting with the little ones: 5 tips to keep kids fed and hydrated during the busy Christmas visiting season
It’s Christmas visiting season!
We know how it is. As well as hosting people in front of your own Christmas tree, you need to go and see your parents, your in-laws, your siblings with their families, your best friend from school, maybe your lovely old granny too.
It may be you absolutely love Christmas visiting – this writer certainly does – but there’s no denying it’s a lot of work, especially when you have kids. We know the stress of feeding babies and toddlers increases enormously when you have to do it outside your own home.
Add in the 'extra' factor of Christmas – when the kids are either bouncing off the walls with excitement, or having a meltdown because it’s all so dysregulating – not to mention Granny trying to feed your seven-month-old a whole sausage roll, and the toddler helping themselves to your mum and dad’s entire tub of sweeties while you’re not looking – argh! It’s A Lot.
We’re here to help. Here are our top tips for keeping kids fed, hydrated, full of energy and somewhat calm during Christmas visiting sessions.
Tip 1: Find out what food options are on the table
Once you’ve got the invite from your friends or relatives, it’s usually worth asking what, if anything, they’re planning to serve up.
Maybe the answer is ‘nothing’, and it’s supposed to be a flying visit to exchange presents. But how many ‘flying visits’ end with the kids waiting half an hour or more for Mum and Dad to stop chatting? Snacks might keep them distracted and peaceful while you catch up with your loved ones.
‘Nibbles’ is a loaded term: chances are they’re not going to fill everyone up, especially if your hosts are not used to feeding kids. In that case you might need to eat first, or take food with you for the kids.
If your hosts are planning a full meal, it will give you peace of mind to know what they’re serving – and at what time! Then you can decide on snacks or alternative options to keep your little ones happy, or set some time aside for feeding the baby. Being prepared makes a huge difference.
Tip 2: Take the kids’ meals with you
You can save yourself a lot of anxiety by taking a meal for the kids with you.
This writer’s kids are autistic, so packing up the stuff they like is much easier than trying to make them eat unfamiliar foods, especially when they’re tired – but isn’t that true for all little kids?
It’s also easier to ensure they’re eating healthily this way.
Pack up a bento lunchbox with some sandwiches, starchy snacks, whole fruit and portioned veg, and maybe leave a space in the box: that way your child can fill the space with a portion of whatever your relatives are serving. Having it in their own lunchbox might make them more inclined to eat it. Or you can let them fill the space with chocolates!
If they’d prefer a hot dinner, filling an insulated food jar with soup, stew or pasta is easy, and will help you enjoy the visit, knowing they’ve got a satisfying keep-warm meal.
we recommend:
lunchbox: Big bento lunchbox with large compartments including our unique stretch-and-flex whole fruit section – no more cutting food into little chunks.
insulated food jar: Leakproof jar that keeps food at the perfect temperature for hours, and comes with its own integrated spork.
Tip 3: Pack your own snacks
If you don’t want to bring a whole meal – if, for example, it’s likely to offend your relatives – you can definitely bring some snacks.
It’s always mortifying when your little one gets hungry and tries to help themselves to the contents of your host’s fridge. You can prevent it by getting the snackbox out.
It’s also a godsend if the kids start wailing that they’re booooored, or if your host is serving dinner later than you usually eat. Snacks will keep them energised and refocus their attention, so they stop being bored, or hyperactive: by the time they’ve finished the snack, they’ve usually found something new to occupy them.
we recommend:
snackbox: Our versatile snackbox has leakproof compartments and a flexi whole fruit section.
Why not get your little one to help you make snacks to take visiting? We love these Christmas cinnamon biscuits from GoodFood!
Tip 4: Bring the right feeding equipment
Let’s talk about weaning, shall we?
It’s one of the most stressful phases of raising a baby: when they’re between six and 18 months, and you have to make sure you can get some food into them when you’re out and about. Tricky enough to do at home; another story when you’re on the go.
It’s a lot to remember when you have to bring everyone’s Christmas presents as well, not to mention all baby’s usual changing apparatus. But if you can manage to bring a couple of key pieces of feeding equipment, such as a feeding mat and a baby spoon, you’ll have a much easier time – and hopefully not make a terrible mess of your in-laws’ kitchen.
we recommend:
roll + go mealtime mat: All-in-one placemat, bowl and plate with a non-slip base.
fill + feed bowl: Fuss-free bowl for yogurts and purees, that you can simply fill at home and give to baby for assisted or independent feeding.
cutlery set: Unique flork™ and spoon set designed to help babies and toddlers eat independently.
Tip 5: Don’t forget to bring drinks
The last thing you need is a well-meaning adult giving a glass tumbler containing 300ml of fizzy pop to your three-year-old two hours before bedtime. The best you can hope for in that scenario is that your little one ruins the carpet with it, rather than ingesting it and going berserk.
Your three-year-old would much rather drink from their own cup, which they’re familiar with in this strange environment, and which contains lovely refreshing water.
we recommend:
380ml drink bottle junior: The perfect transition from sippy cup to big-kid bottle.
Tritan™ drink bottle: Available in two sizes, 450ml and 600ml, with a convenient grab-and-go handle.