The holidays are coming and, with them, daily life changes completely. We sometimes get up later, naps are shifted, days are spent more outdoors and dinner planned for 6:30pm suddenly turns into drinks on the terrace at 7:30pm.
And when you have a baby, one question inevitably arises: should you continue to follow exactly the same meal times as at home?
Good news: holidays can also mean flexibility. Some routines remain important for the baby, but that doesn't mean the whole family has to live with their eyes glued to the clock.
Can a baby's schedule change during the holidays?
Yes. An occasional off-peak meal is not a problem.
Holidays naturally disrupt routines: a longer nap, an outing that lasts longer, a restaurant, a day at the beach or simply an evening that one wants to enjoy.
The exact time of the meal may therefore vary.
What matters most is to remain attentive to the baby's needs and their signs of hunger and satiety.
A baby who starts to get restless, looks for food or clearly shows that he is hungry has no reason to wait until 7 p.m. simply because that is his usual dinner time.
Conversely, if he has just drunk his milk, woken up late from his nap and does not seem hungry at the usual time, there is no point in trying to force him to eat his meal.
Maintaining a sense of routine without becoming a slave to the clock
There is a difference between keeping a rhythm and respecting a precise time down to the minute.
Even during the holidays, baby can maintain the sequence of their mealtimes: milk, breakfast according to their age, lunch, snack, dinner…
But these times may be slightly earlier or later depending on the day.
For example, a lunch usually offered at 12pm could very well take place at 12:30 or 1pm after a morning of walking.
The idea is therefore to maintain a certain structure while accepting that holidays make the days more flexible.
To find out how meals evolve during the diversification process, also see our article When to give 3 meals a day to baby on BLW ?.
Before the age of 1, milk remains the main food
This concept is particularly important when the baby is still at the beginning of their weaning process.
Before 12 months, breast milk or formula remains the baby's main food. Solid foods are gradually introduced to supplement their diet and, above all, allow them to discover new flavors and textures.
So if a holiday day is a little different and baby eats less solid food than usual, there is no need to panic.
Continue to offer milk according to her needs.
You can also consult our article Breast milk or infant milk and BLW to better understand its place during diversification.
What if the nap completely disrupts the meal schedule?
This is probably one of the great holiday classics.
You were planning to have lunch at noon… and baby decides to start their best nap of the year at 11:45 am. 😅
There's no need to wake him up just to respect mealtimes.
When he wakes up, you can simply adapt the rest of the day: offer his milk or his meal according to his age, his appetite and the time he woke up.
The next snack or meal can then be slightly delayed.
One different day is not going to destroy all the eating habits established over several months.
What should you do if the baby is hungry before the rest of the family?
On vacation, adults often tend to eat later.
The aperitif is going on too long, the barbecue isn't ready yet, and the restaurant is booked for 8pm…
But the baby might not have received the memo. 😅
If he clearly shows that he is hungry, it is better to meet his need rather than trying to make him wait a long time so that everyone eats together.
You can offer him part of his meal, his milk or a small, suitable snack while he waits.
He can then come back to the table with you, taste some food or simply enjoy the family moment.
Sharing meals is still beneficial for babies, but it shouldn't come at the expense of their nutritional needs. Read our article on this topic: Is it important to eat at the same time as your baby?
And at the restaurant?
Restaurants are one of the little pleasures of the holidays, but their opening hours rarely correspond to those of a baby.
Several possibilities exist.
You can feed the baby before leaving, take part of their meal with you, or offer them suitable food directly at the restaurant.
The most important thing is to choose the solution that will allow you to enjoy the moment without asking the baby to wait when he is hungry.
We have actually dedicated an entire article to this topic: Restaurants with baby: how to manage meals in BLW ?.
What if he eats much less during the holidays?
Environmental changes can also influence appetite.
Baby is discovering a lot of things: new places, new people, new smells, sometimes intense heat… So his attention may be elsewhere than on his plate.
Some days he will eat very well. Other days, much less.
Look more at his diet over several days than the amount consumed during a single meal.
And when it's particularly hot, a decrease in appetite is also common. We discuss this in more detail in "Baby eats less: normal or worrying?" and " How to keep baby well hydrated during the summer?".
Should we maintain certain habits despite everything?
A little flexibility does not mean removing all reference points.
Some babies are particularly sensitive to change and feel more comfortable when they return to some familiar routines.
So you can keep some small rituals: his usual bib, his cup, his place at the table when possible or simply eating together.
These reference points can be particularly reassuring in a completely new environment.
How to get back into the swing of things after the holidays?
No need to put everything back in place as soon as you get home.
A few days before returning to daycare, work or the usual routine, you can gradually bring mealtimes closer to the usual times.
Shift them little by little rather than trying to change everything in one day.
Habits will generally return naturally with the resumption of daily routines.
In summary
No, baby does not need to eat at exactly the same time every day during the holidays.
Maintaining some routines can be reassuring, but schedules can change depending on naps, outings, restaurants and the family's rhythm.
Pay particular attention to your baby's hunger and fullness cues, continue to respect their needs, and accept that a holiday day may not be the same as a day at home.
Holidays are also for living a little less with your eyes on the clock. ☀️
