Let’s be honest—July can feel a bit in-between. The year is half over, the novelty of summer may be fading, and as a parent, you might find yourself somewhere between overstimulated and disconnected. The days are long, routines are scattered, and the expectations can feel loud, even when you're just trying to get through the day.
This isn’t another blog about splash pads or sunscreen hacks. If you’re here, maybe what you really need is something quieter—something softer. A reminder that you don’t need big plans or picture-perfect moments to feel close to your baby. Sometimes, connection lives in the smallest gestures.
Like noticing something new your baby does this week—maybe the way they’re suddenly fascinated by their own toes or how they lock eyes with you a moment longer. These are the “firsts” that rarely make it into baby books but mean everything. Let yourself pause long enough to witness them.
Or maybe it looks like turning down the noise, both literally and emotionally. The music, the TV, the background stress—just lowering the volume a bit and holding your baby close. A few minutes of quiet with a familiar song, or the rhythm of your voice reading a book they don’t understand yet, can shift the entire energy in a room.
Connection doesn’t always feel like a lightning bolt. Sometimes it’s playful. A silly sound your baby loves that you repeat again and again, even though it makes no sense to anyone else. Or the same board book read five times because that one page makes them light up. When you say “yes” to those tiny joys, you're saying yes to their world.
And if you’ve caught yourself comparing—your baby’s development, your parenting, your energy level—it’s okay. July can stir up those feelings. The halfway mark of a year can be a strange mirror. Instead of spiraling into what hasn’t happened, try remembering how far you’ve come. You’re learning each other. That’s more than enough.
Finally, know that it’s normal for joy and sadness to exist side by side. Maybe you’re feeling blue and can’t quite explain why. Or perhaps there’s a quiet grief that lingers—something you’ve lost, or something you never had. Holding your baby doesn’t erase those feelings, but your presence still matters. You can be loving and tired. Hopeful and overwhelmed. Grateful and grieving. All of it is human. And all of it belongs.
So if July feels a little messy, you’re not alone. Let it be what it is. You don’t need the perfect routine or an endless list of enriching activities. You just need moments—brief, honest moments where you and your baby are simply together.
That’s where connection lives.