Wearing costumes is an old tradition and children love nothing more than dressing up in fun and original costumes to go to a party or play games based on fantasy. Holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter offer plenty of opportunities to don a special costume and spend the day celebrating. While older kids can choose their own costumes or even have one made for them, there’s no reason why your baby can’t join in on the fun, too. Baby costumes are widely available, so there is no excuse not to buy an outfit for your child this holiday season.
Baby costumes are slightly different from those available for older children, because most good quality baby costumes are much more practical, allowing for better cleaning and laundering. Baby costumes are designed to be warmer and free from irritants, so that your baby feels safe and comfortable while dressed. However, if you buy your baby a Halloween costume, it may be best to skip the trick-or-treating session with your other children, because it can get very cold at that time of year.
Your baby will love to dress up, because he will enjoy all the attention that is lavished on him. Even if your baby is still too young to properly understand that he is a different “character” for the day, he will still be able to enjoy the different kinds of care he receives. For example, if they are dressed like a lion for the day, then people may start to playfully growl at them. Young children love new experiences like this. It is also invaluable to see their reaction once they look in the mirror!
Dressing your baby in a special baby costume will also help him feel more included by his siblings, who are enjoying the Christmas season. Positive interaction with older siblings and other children the same age is very important to a child’s development, and imaginative play like this can be very rewarding. If your baby has a favorite TV show or storybook character that he responds particularly well to, then choosing to dress him like this can be very positive, as it will help your baby become more involved and identify with this character. Even though your child is still very young, baby costumes can have a very positive effect!
