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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Another Christmas thread and family, new babies…

20 replies

Tilly18101 · 31/10/2021 13:01

I’ve read a few posts recently, mostly about in laws and Christmas and there’s very much a split on MN, some defending GP’s and some not! As a soon to be FTM with very hands on family it did make me a feel very overwhelmed with the what do I do to keep my family happy but also ensure I get chance to do the things I want to do - after all they are my babies?

It got me thinking, where do we as FTM’s put the boundaries if any? We are learning our new role and being excited about our babies or children’s future.

Example for me is this Christmas, my mum is super involved still and means well but already wants to make my baby their Christmas day outfit and a stocking and fill it with gifts.

Now as a FTM I would quite like to chose and buy my babies first Christmas outfit, but reading some responses previously on here I need to be careful about taking too many firsts away from GP’s?! In relation to a stocking the baby will be what 6 weeks old?! It doesn’t need a stocking filled with stuff, but when they do, we’d like the stocking to be from Santa and keep any big gifts from family/ourselves etc. Again on those principals I would be depriving GP’s of doing something they want to do but surely us as parents have a say especially around anything that becomes traditional?

Not really an AIBU just interested to know how other mothers feel with new babies, and taking roles that were previously the GP’s such as hosting Xmas or family events etc and how your handling the shift?

Same from GP’s how do you feel handing over your roles to your children or SIL/DIL you’d previously had and how would you want it to be approached/handled without being put out?

Same for visiting new grandchildren? We don’t want any visitors straight away, and this has rubbed up GP’s noses already but for me it’s very important we bond as a family first, especially DH who essentially is just handed a newborn and told there’s your baby where we’ve grown it for 9 months and may already feel a connection etc.

OP posts:
Starcaller · 31/10/2021 13:09

Honestly I think that you're just overthinking a lot of it. Just let stuff happen naturally and don't stress about it.

Personally I loved seeing my mum meeting her grandchild ASAP, she came while we were still in hospital and I wouldn't have dreamt of her not meeting her first grandchild immediately. I don't care about first Christmas outfits and my mum does a stocking for DD and I do too, it doesn't matter to me (and certainly not to her!) that she has two. You'll naturally develop your own traditions and maybe there will be different traditions at Gran and Grandpa's house and that's fine.

If you have a very difficult relationship with your parents then I can understand laying ground rules, but if you have a good relationship then just let it develop and don't micro manage it.

The I'm not sure where this 'grandparents not meeting grandchildren right away' trend has come from, but in our family grandparents are the first to meet them, in the hospital usually pre-Covid, and at home ASAP now. So it's alien to me but I understand if you have difficult family or something.

Notaroadrunner · 31/10/2021 13:14

You want to do baby's stocking and choose baby's clothes then you simply say thanks but no thanks to your mum. If she makes an outfit the baby can wear it another day over Christmas but you use yours for Christmas Day. You and Dh decide who visits and when. Then you tell family when it will suit you. Grandparents have had their 'firsts' with their own kids - they don't get to take that from you.

TheMagicDeckchair · 31/10/2021 13:18

I think you may be overthinking this a little.

Of course you can buy your baby their first Christmas outfit. Let your mum make a Christmas outfit too- if baby’s sick or has a poo explosion on your outfit, you have a spare. Otherwise make it a Boxing Day outfit.

Re the stocking- baby will be 6 weeks old, they won’t have a clue what’s going on. I’d let GP do the stocking. No need to worry about future years, plenty of time to discuss that in the future. It brings family pleasure to do stuff like this for the baby, and it’s no harm to you.

At 6 weeks old the baby will fit in with whatever plans you want. I don’t think you need to worry about setting traditions now.

Re visiting- why don’t you see how you feel after birth? You may not want visitors or you might want the support of your family/friends. Once the dust settles and baby is a little older you might appreciate the company.

Blondebakingmumma · 31/10/2021 13:21

You can hold your ground for important things, but compromise to try to keep GPS happy too. E.g. if you want to choose the Christmas outfit, tell your mum you are choosing the Christmas outfit, but invite her to make a Christmas Eve outfit or Christmas PJs to wear in December or the night before Christmas.

marykitty · 31/10/2021 13:22

None of the things you have listed is a real issue, I think you are overthinking massively.

babbi · 31/10/2021 13:25

I think you need to chill and look forward to welcoming your baby .
Relax and look after yourself .
None of the things you mentioned are important in the grand scheme of things .

Just let it go and enjoy your first Cmas with your baby ….

Good luck

HTH1 · 31/10/2021 13:27

I think just be honest but tactful eg if you have/want to choose a Christmas Day outfit, say so but ask if GP would like to choose a special New Year outfit.

The stocking could be toys to keep at GP’s house which are opened separately to the Santa stocking for the first and possibly second year (when the baby will have absolutely no concept of Santa). In future years, just tell them you want DC to believe in Santa so presents need to come from them to avoid confusion.

Pumpkinsonparade · 31/10/2021 13:30

Op having your own baby does imo entitle you to cover every single 'first' that comes...
Do not appease your dm at the detriment of your own wishes...
Being a dgp isn't a right...

AliasGrape · 31/10/2021 13:32

I agree you’re massively overthinking. If you have a half decent relationship with your family and in laws then I think these things just work themselves out. If they’re the type to push and overstep boundaries and take over then yes, maybe you need to be a bit firmer, but a simple ‘no thanks’ is fine.

My parents are no longer with us. I miss my mum being around and am gutted she didn’t get to meet my baby daughter. It was important to me that dd has a strong relationship with her other grandparents so I tend to overlook most little niggles and try to involve them as much as I can.

She was born in lockdown so no visitors for us for quite a while, I did quite enjoy the peace for the first few days home (I was in hospital nearly a week too) but after that really would have liked her to meet our families. I think it’s something you can play by ear. But I also don’t see how your mum/ mother in law popping in for a quick cuddle would stop you bonding as a new family either? Again, depends on if they’re the kind that would actually help/ be sensitive or whether they’d overstay their welcome and try to take over.

Let your mum make a stocking if she wants - she can put some useful stuff in it like wipes and a few little toys/ sensory bits - it’s a nice gesture and doesn’t mean it’s going to be a set in stone tradition forever. Or maybe your child has a stocking from Santa and an extra one at grandmas house. Let her make her outfit - probably be nicer than what’s in the shops but if you want to buy your own you just say ‘well I want to get this for Christmas Day, if you really want to make one we’d love a special Christmas Eve one though’. From memory my DD had about 4 outfit changes on the day anyway.

LivingLaVidaBabyShower · 31/10/2021 13:35

None of it is insurmountable.
On christmas I'd go with a compromises and sharing.

Pick what you really want and compromise/share on the rest.

Like you said stocking is kinda pointless but clearly makes your mum happy.

Tell your mum you are excited for xmas too. You would love her to do the stocking this year and you thought it would be nice if she can get a new year outfit if she wants as you have something in mind for christmas day outfit.
Remind her MIL wants to be involved too so she needs to share the fun stuff around

SophieHatterPendragon · 31/10/2021 13:36

If you want to pick your babies first Xmas outfit and do their stocking then crack on! You don’t have to give grandparents “the rights” to that and you won’t be taking anything away from them. They’ve had their kids.

Saying that I honestly don’t get all the fuss and territorial behaviour around thing. My MIL and mum both do a small stocking for all my DC and their cousins. They have those at the grandparents house when we are there on Xmas day or Boxing Day.

We do a stocking at home first thing. I don’t see why they can’t have more than one stocking! It doesn’t take away anything from your stocking being special

Dancingsmile · 31/10/2021 13:38

It's important that you start your family traditions as the GPs did for you and your husband.
This is what I told my daughter. She has set up her own little traditions but wanted me to keep up with some of ours as she was sentimental about those. So I adapted them to fit.

She does a sack at the bottom of GC bed that he wakes up to.

She wants me to do stockings and now one for GC. Whoever joins the family gets one. New partners etc. They have these when they are here on Christmas day or they wait for them on boxing day.

Other GPs have special gifts hanging from the tree they have to find.

I love that Christmas has evolved to make sure everyone is included and still able to have their own traditions.

Just talk to them. Being straight and open stops any upset.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 31/10/2021 13:42

Really overthinking

I have 6 Halloween outfits for my baby 🤷‍♀️ From various people I just put her in them all through October

Same over Xmas if someone gives you clothes for the baby just wear them all - you’ll probably have to outfit change at some point anyway (poo/sick 😝)

FourTeaFallOut · 31/10/2021 13:48

At six weeks old I imagine there will be ample opportunity for a number of different outfits in the day, so I don't think you need to worry about this one, at least. And the baby won't give two hoots about stockings, put them all up on the fireplace.

Imagine having all these wonderful people so excited to be a part of this new baby's life. Where you can, just humour them a little.

BluebirdHill · 31/10/2021 13:51

Let her do the stocking as it's pointless for a 6 week old baby so you're not losing anything there! Then in future years you can say 'you did the first ever one so I will take over from there..' I also think more than one Christmas outfit is fine - use yours first then change baby into hers after the inevitable leaky nappy / milk spillage. Be clever about accepting what is less important but keeping a sense of the important boundaries and sticking to those.

Kitkat151 · 31/10/2021 14:26

@Starcaller

Honestly I think that you're just overthinking a lot of it. Just let stuff happen naturally and don't stress about it.

Personally I loved seeing my mum meeting her grandchild ASAP, she came while we were still in hospital and I wouldn't have dreamt of her not meeting her first grandchild immediately. I don't care about first Christmas outfits and my mum does a stocking for DD and I do too, it doesn't matter to me (and certainly not to her!) that she has two. You'll naturally develop your own traditions and maybe there will be different traditions at Gran and Grandpa's house and that's fine.

If you have a very difficult relationship with your parents then I can understand laying ground rules, but if you have a good relationship then just let it develop and don't micro manage it.

The I'm not sure where this 'grandparents not meeting grandchildren right away' trend has come from, but in our family grandparents are the first to meet them, in the hospital usually pre-Covid, and at home ASAP now. So it's alien to me but I understand if you have difficult family or something.

Completely agree with this post. I was at the birth for both my DDs births...certainly didn’t affect My SIL bonding with his children ....neither did the visitors in the early days....but we are a very close family and I understand that’s it’s different for others...l....your MUm just sounds very excited though.
Blossomtoes · 31/10/2021 14:33

From a grandparent perspective, we were invited to meet both our grandchildren as soon as they arrived home. We didn’t hang around, made our own tea, took lunch with us and ran the hoover round while we were there.

Holding our four day old granddaughter and drinking in her intently sleeping face was one of the highlights of my life. I’ll always be so grateful to our DiL for making that happen, we so appreciated her generosity and kindness.

3scape · 31/10/2021 14:37

Don't sweat it or pre make decisions. You need to know who you are visiting etc but honestly being prepared to roll with it helps. Babies genuine meaningful firsts don't really include half the firsts Instagram will "sell" you. Also. Young babies get through a few clothes a day. Really no big deal, but no less annoying when everyone wants the child to be a doll.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 31/10/2021 14:39

I think you and dh need to decide what to do and tell everyone .
We always had the rule that we were happy to see our parents and grandparents for Xmas but we would always have Xmas morning at home,and we would do stockings and presents our way entirely.
Now we have a granddaughter and we make very clear it's for her parents to do what they want.

PotteringAlong · 31/10/2021 14:49

Do you really think your husband won’t bond with his child if his parents come and meet their grandchild in the first 2 weeks?

I couldn’t tell you what any of my children wore for their first Christmas. They get a stocking from us, and my mum, and my PiL. Everyone is still here and still alive.

I am very conscious that my MiL hates that we don’t go to hers for Christmas. Everyone comes to our house, she gets the big family Christmas but she dislikes intensely that she doesn’t host (the year that my eldest cried on Christmas day about leaving his toys to go to theirs was the year we said enough and that we were staying at home). I can’t really fix that one, but I know it’s there.

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