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Baby first christmas

Here we help you navigate present buying, family visits and traditions old and new.

Your baby might have just arrived and you’re counting them as THE best Christmas present ever. Or they might be nearing their first birthday and on the move. Whatever their stage, we know your little one’s first Christmas is a moment to be celebrated and savoured.

Check out our guide on how to make those memories as special as you all deserve (ahhhhh).

The present factor

  • It’s a wrap. Your baby is unlikely to be able to open their presents, or might be able to rip the odd corner here or there (and no doubt stuff the paper in their mouth). So present wrapping may seem a little futile. That said, you might enjoy wrapping their pressies and putting them under the tree so go for it if you so desire. This Christmas is all about you and your new family, creating memories together.
  • Don’t blow the bank on the latest gadgets. This isn’t the year for hitting the shops hard – they’ll be asking for enough presents in future years, believe us. Why not find them something nice from our Nearly New Sales or try wrapping new or hand-me-down clothes you have waiting around. You could even wrap the empty cardboard boxes from any home deliveries.
  • Ask friends and family for useful items. Of course some frivolity is nice and to be expected at Christmas. But your family and friends would probably appreciate some pointers about something your baby might actually need. Why not be proactive and suggest things, even the boring and mundane (socks, a box of nappies) or useful (a snowsuit or winter coat). Or think ahead and ask for clothes for next summer in a couple of sizes up (we’ll leave you to do the maths). Or money for their savings account (those first driving lessons won’t buy themselves).

Make memories

Quite literally. Get crafty with your gift ideas this year – baubles or Christmas ornaments with your little one’s hand or footprints will be treasured by grandparents and aunties/uncles. And while you’re at it, why not create one for your tree.

Here’s what one mum said: “I got a bit carried away at the time, creating baubles for family and myself when my two were little. But now I absolutely love unpacking them every year, and remembering those early days – their hand and foot prints seemed so little. And now they’re running about the place and three times the size.” Sanjima, mum to Maya and Dylan, 8 and 6 years old.

There are ceramics cafes around and about or home kits available reasonably – you don’t have to spend a crazy amount.

Step away from the nylon costumes

There are some totally ridiculous (and also some very cute) novelty outfits out there. You might want to buy something for that perfect Xmas photo, but it doesn’t have to be new. Ask friends for hand-me-downs, visit an NCT Nearly New Sale, or pass an outfit around among friends with babes the same age – for picture purposes.

You’ll probably receive an outfit or novelty hat/jumper/bib as a pressie too so you can always hold out. And there are many other festive items you’ll have around the house they can pose with for that perfect Insta moment. The tree, a pile of pressies and a festive toy in hand can all work well.

Local baby classes also often have a Christmas theme in the few weeks run up, so you might start feeling festive and dressing them up there too.

Geri, mum of Jodi who was four months old last Christmas explains: “I hadn’t even planned to take a Christmas picture of Jodi to send out with our Christmas cards, but her local baby singing class gave them reindeer antlers to wear one week, and a teeny dot of red face paint for the end of her little nose. I’m not a very gimmicky person but she looked ridiculously cute – it’s funny how you turn in to a big softie once your baby is born.

“So that was it, I was off – about 30 family and friends got a picture of Jodi as a reindeer with their Christmas card. Some may have ended up in the bin (!) but a few probably still feature on fridges. And the best thing was, the outfit didn’t cost me a penny.”

Who needs picture perfect?

You might feel you have bags the size of baubles under your eyes, and may be bickering more with your other half than ever before. Even so, try to get some festive snaps of your new family on Christmas Day. You’ll look back at these early days and realise how well you were doing all along.

And don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have a perfect day without hiccups. Enjoy Christmas for what it is – a lovely experience as your new family, but with a little tiredness, and baby food/dribble/sick down your Christmas outfit.

Starting traditions, and remembering old ones

Have a think about what you used to enjoy as a kid at Christmas, and any traditions you might want to reinstate. Remember biscuits and milk for Father Christmas, a carrot for the reindeer and a movie on Christmas Eve perhaps?

There might be things your baby is not quite be big enough for this year, but you can start the traditions nonetheless. They’ll start to enjoy them in a year or two.

Jessica, mum to Freya, eight months, gets sentimental: “I used to watch Little Women with my two sisters when I was little. It is a lovely film about sisterhood and gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. My daughter is only eight months old this Christmas but I’m already thinking I’d like to watch this same film as a family every year during the holidays. I want her to grow up with some of those same memories as me.”

Ahh.

So, all that is left to say is have a very happy, healthy and merry Christmas full of memories you’ll remember forever. Enjoy.

This page was last reviewed in November 2018

Further information

Our support line offers practical and emotional support with feeding your baby and general enquiries for parents, members and volunteers: 0300 330 0700.

We also offer antenatal courses which are a great way to find out more about birth, labour and life with a new baby.

Make friends with other parents-to-be and new parents in your local area for support and friendship by seeing what NCT activities are happening nearby. To find out when an NCT nearly new sale is happening near you, search here.

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