How to Survive a Graduation Ceremony with a Baby

My Brother-in-law graduated from college on Saturday. Congratulations Mr. Random-in-law!
The ceremony was very moving and it was very cool to watch him graduate and see the symbolism of him moving from one part of his life to the next. But like all graduation ceremonies it was also very very long and boring. I have sat through many graduation ceremonies before but it is a completely different experience when you have a baby with you. I did not even really think about the differences before I got there so I wasn't really prepared at all. No Little Man is one of the easiest babies ever so we made it through, but I thought that I would share some ideas that I had that would have made it easier for us.

1. Sit in the back, sit on the end of the row, or consider not sitting at all
We were sitting right up in front in the middle of the row. If Little Man had gotten truly fussy I would have had to scooch past several people and walk past even more to get to a hallway where we would not disturb the ceremony. If you little person is bigger, louder, or more wiggly then I would recommend sitting in the back as close to the doors as you can so you can make a clean getaway, or even just finding a folding chair and camping in the hallway so you won't disturb the ceremony. Oh and if you do sit in the room make sure you keep a couple extra seats open for any and all baby stuff you might bring (you may not need the seats but you will probably need the ground space)

2. Bring Reinforcements
Make sure you have at least one pair of extra hands and eyes to help you. Trust me you do not want to be the only one there when your little one needs a diaper change or you need to go to the bathroom.

3. Make sure they get a good nap before the ceremony
Don't count on your baby napping during the ceremony. This is the one that got me. I thought Little Man would have no trouble sleeping during the ceremony, but I didn't think about how loud a ceremony is. Poor little Man was so tired he kept nodding off, but every time he fell asleep people would start clapping and it would startle him awake again.(Although you will be thankful for the loudness if your little one starts vocalizing like little man did :)

4. Bring snacks/food and toys
I fed Little Man during the ceremony and that helped keep him occupied for a good amount of time. And I always keep his favorite toy in the diaper bag so I had that to pull out when he got bored. And don't be afraid to pull things out of your purse for your little one if you run out of other entertainment :)

5. Pray the speaker doesn't like the sound of his voice.
I think this was one of the longest graduation speeches I have ever sat through (although it may have just felt that way because of the added pressure) This one you can't really affect, but you can pray for it :)

Hope this helps any of you who have serious event to take your baby to!


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