To give a newborn a house tour

[Differentstarts]

At work today I was talking to a pregnant colleague and she said it will be so strange taking a baby home and what do you actually do with a baby when you get home from hospital and I said with mine I took them on a tour of the house to show themwhere everything is and where they would be sleeping. By this point other colleagues had joined the conversation and thought it was funny and weird that I did this. I assumed most people would do this when they bring their babies home. Am i weird or is this normal 🙈🤣🤣

I think that's so cute 😍
Don't mind the PP who says it's weird - it's a lovely thing to do.

We did the tour too!

I've never heard of this OP but I think it's such a beautiful thing to do! Making the wee soul welcome in it's new home.

I think that’s lovely. With DS1 I popped him in his Moses basket and turned the lights off while me and DH watched tv with no volume and subtitles on 😂. We quickly learned life isn’t like that don’t worry. With ds2, who came along 10 years after, I was in shock that this had finally happened and I couldn’t stop watching him.
I do remember walking him round the garden on a gorgeous summer evening a couple of nights after he was born. I was moving the leaves in the trees and the sun was coming through so he could see the patterns.

That's adorable.

Mine sat on the table in their car seat and I tried to decide between sleeping, eating, or trying to use the toilet.

The pain from my c section meant a tour probably wouldn't have been doable for at least a week!

I did! I'm surprised people are saying that's unusual, it seemed like the obvious thing to show them their home. Same as explaining to them about whatever I'm doing, eg so they would learn my voice and feel secure when I'm putting them in the cot or changing their nappy.

Such a lovely thing op

We did this! I remember DH showing newborn DS some plants and explaining that plants are funny creatures because they eat through their feet.

We also introduced him to the neighbours so that if they saw him hanging around, they'd know that he lived with us and wasn't just loitering. That might have been a PFB thing, not sure we did it with the second and third children.

That's sweet.

I walked through the door and sat on the sofa, then MiL showed up 2 minutes later with a large latte and slab of chocolate brownie, so I swapped and let her have a cuddle while I enjoyed my caffeine and chocolate.

Absolutely adorable. You’re going to be a lovely mum. Just keep communicating with you baby - it’s how they Learn everything!

I did it with my 2nd to and will do it when I have a 3rd

I did it with DS1. DH thought I was mental. I just loved walking around all the rooms with this tiny little newcomer in my arms.

With DS2 I had a houseful of inlaws so I sat on the stairs with a grumpy DS1 who was hugely pissed off with the latest tiny little newcomer!

My favourite "home from hospital" moment was Hal and Lois coming home with their eldest. Hal hangs up the coats and puts the bags etc in the closet, along with the car seat.

They both then collapse onto the sofa, and iirc the baby starts crying and they were "Whats that? Oh shit...yeah, we had a baby!!!"

ETA, sorry that is Hal and Lois in Malcolm in the Middle.

Can’t really remember first day back with child #1.

A nice sit down and a cup of tea - then that feeling of what do we do next, then where’s the instruction book - which of course you don’t get.

Aw like a little orientation 😆😍

Does he now have very high expectation of AirBnB hosts? 😁

That’s very cute, OP.

I feel like my DC have missed out because I didn’t give them a house tour! 😂 I think I just slumped on the sofa and stared at the wall in shock with my boobs out.

I think this is lovely OP! Personally I put my 2 down in a moses basket (twins) and sat on the sofa exhausted!

Mine got a house tour each. My eldest got her toes and fingers counted too.
Youngest did a massive poonami and I was not yet setup with changing station and DH was parking the car or getting food or something. So that took care of the not knowing what to do when home.

We took our newborn all around the house to show him where he was going to live. Even took him out for a little loop of the garden. It’s one of my favourite early memories.

I don’t think it’s weird at all!

We got home and promptly fell asleep for too long. All of us were exhausted and we didn’t think to set an alarm for a feeding.

i like the idea of a house tour. Babies learn by your speech. The more you talk, the more they learn. Talking about the home is certainly a nice introduction.

I did this too OP - seemed the most obvious thing to do to welcome the newcomer!

We did a full tour of the house downstairs and so far only the master bedroom upstairs, on the first day home….still have to do sibling bedrooms, garden and converted attic. Baby is nearly two months old. I’m a firm believer that a house can feel full of love and magic, and is a home for my children, so of course the baby should tour the house, and feel safe in our home……

Maybe it makes me weird too 😁

Ok well I have to admit that I would have never thought to do that, nor do I know anyone else that has 🤣 BUT, I read it and thought that's so so lovely and I have made a mental note to do the same when my second is born later this year!

I didn’t do that but I think it’s lovely.