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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU baby's first Christmas

101 replies

USaYwHatNow · 29/10/2022 22:49

Would IBU to not buy my baby (who will be 4 months old) any Xmas presents, specifically? I was planning on putting him in some cute new Xmas pj's, maybe getting a 1st Xmas bauble for the tree but aside from that...? 1st baby so not sure if I'm being a meanie 🤷🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
Kite22 · 30/10/2022 00:04

Of course YANBU.
No point at all - you will already have bought them everything they need this year.

Snugglemonkey · 30/10/2022 00:14

My baby will be 4 weeks. She already has a stocking, Santa sack and a list being worked on by her bug brother. He is determined to "help" since she will be too wee to ask for things herself. It is ridiculous, but also sweet. I am guiding him toward putting things like a swimsuit and float on the list, things we would be buying anyway.

Kite22 · 30/10/2022 00:16

It is different when there are older siblings though. Then the presents are for the older one to see.

When (as with the OP) it is baby number one, there is not the same reason.

isittheholidaysyet · 30/10/2022 00:25

As its your first child, that is totally reasonable. (If you are feeling guilty put some money aside as a 'present' and use it it in 10 years time to buy their first phone contract!)

If they have older siblings then it's usually more sensible to get them something, but presents like nappies, wipes, hand-me-down toys from the loft etc are perfectly acceptable!

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 30/10/2022 00:27

Jalepenojello · 29/10/2022 23:15

It’s sensible. I wrapped a couple of bits like teething toys I’d have bought anyway. That’s it.

Why wrap? Who unwrapped them?

Blueeyedgirl21 · 30/10/2022 00:29

I’m just going to get dd who will be 6 months, a special tree dec and a couple of Christmas babygros and maybe some musical shaker things we use at baby class, that she likes, maybe a couple of sensory toys if I see them for a decent price but apart from that she has everything she could ever want at the moment ! She’s a baby! You’re defo NBU. My mum is getting her some of the coverall long sleeve bibs for weaning and a ‘big girl’ cup and some bowls and spoons, other relatives probably clothes or pjs maybe a couple of soft toys or I’ve said get her a book if they must purchase something!

Lizzy1980 · 30/10/2022 00:34

You are not being a meanie at all. In fact I think you’re being very sensible. I’ll never forget my colleagues daughters first Christmas (baby would have been about the same age as your little one) and they spent a small fortune on gifts for her. I understand how their first Christmas with their new baby was an exciting time but they’re not especially well off so spending hundreds of pounds on gifts for a child that was far too young to understand or remember just seemed ridiculous. It was no surprise though as they also spent over £65,000 on their wedding and the following three years complaining how miserable they were having to live with the grooms parents while they were saving for a deposit for a house.
I’m sure you’ll have a lovely Christmas and your baby will be just as happy as if you’d bought gifts

CatSeany · 30/10/2022 00:41

Not unreasonable! We just got one thing each for the baby that was a surprise for the other person to open. We didn't do gifts for each other so that was a nice way to include everyone.

Bpdqueen · 30/10/2022 01:00

Yanbu your literally wrapping something to unwrap it yourself a few weeks later

DifficultBloodyWoman · 30/10/2022 01:42

Snugglemonkey · 30/10/2022 00:14

My baby will be 4 weeks. She already has a stocking, Santa sack and a list being worked on by her bug brother. He is determined to "help" since she will be too wee to ask for things herself. It is ridiculous, but also sweet. I am guiding him toward putting things like a swimsuit and float on the list, things we would be buying anyway.

Awwww - what a lovely big brother! 💐

Remind them both of this when they hit the teen years and fight over bathroom access! 🤣

Thir · 30/10/2022 01:16

We bought our baby a snow globe, one that is also a light. In all fairness it's pretty tacky/but also sweet. It's the kind of thing that most kids would love and it's like a Christmas decoration for her room.

Mamai90 · 30/10/2022 01:23

My guess is he probably has everything he needs and more. My first was born 5 weeks before Xmas so I told people not to buy her anything, she had mountains of clothes, everything she could ever need in terms of baby essentials and things that weren't even essential. She got nice clothes and a bauble, that was more than enough.

Mrsmch123 · 30/10/2022 01:32

My boy was 6 months last Xmas and I bought him loadssssssss of presents. I spent ages tapping it only to unwrap it as obviously he couldn't🙈anyway lots of the toys were not used and put up the loft so they are coming down and will be rewraped for this year......least he can open them this year😂

StClare101 · 30/10/2022 03:01

We didn’t for either child. Relatives did though which was fine.

Second Christmas DC1 was 18 months and he got a few toys to open as well as that we wrapped a box of tissues as he was obsessed with them. That was his favourite gift he was ecstatic!!

DC2 got a bit more for his second Christmas (15 months) mainly for the benefit of his older brother.

PlantsAndSpaniels · 30/10/2022 05:33

Mine will be 6/7 months this Christmas. I plan on buying a bauble for her and then just a few practical bits instead of buying each other so many presents.

Have got a special version of my partners favourite children's book to give to him for him to read to her as she grows.

Shouldawouldacoulda30 · 30/10/2022 05:36

A few wooden toys for first Christmas.
Its grandchild 3 rd Christmas this year and still only getting few things needed, wait until older when there is more of an expectation !
Not necessary and better for back account and environment!

ApolloandDaphne · 30/10/2022 05:37

Both of ours got a soft toy for their first Christmas. Both still sleep with these toys and they are now adults of 24 and 30!

DozyFox · 30/10/2022 05:41

I didn't buy my baby anything for his first Christmas, and I won't be getting anything except maybe something small and sentimental that he'll appreciate when he's older for his second Christmas this year (he will be 13 months old).

I'm also not buying anything for his first birthday except a small, cheap sentimental gift 😬

We have big families, he'll be getting plenty from everyone else!

Justworkplease · 30/10/2022 05:56

YANBU at all. Mine was 8 weeks at his first Christmas and I barely bought anything at all 🤷🏻‍♀️
I did buy:

  • 1st Christmas bauble for the tree
  • A really lovely Christmas story book that hopefully we can read every Christmas Eve as he grows up

He had everything he needed already so for friends and family that we’re insisting on going OTT I asked them to gift their favourite children’s book for him to read as he grows up.

queenatom · 30/10/2022 05:59

YANBU - my son was a month old last Christmas and I didn't buy him any presents, we'd just bought everything he needed for him new! To be honest even this year I'm struggling to motivate myself to buy him gifts, he has so many toys already and we're out of space in our house.

34and3 · 30/10/2022 06:05

My baby will be 10m at Xmas. I'm planning on wrapping the things I was going to buy for that stage anyway. New clothes, a walker, some books. Nothing specifically Xmas but he has two older sisters so it's more for them to see he has things to open too.

NatMoz · 30/10/2022 06:15

My baby was 12 days old and got nothing. This Christmas she'll have just turned 1 and will get 4 gifts

Namechanger965 · 30/10/2022 06:18

YANBU. I didn’t see the point for the first Christmas as DD was only 4 months. I bought a first Christmas bauble and a personalised twas the night before Christmas book. It was harder with DC2 and 3 though as DD was old enough to ask where their presents from Santa were, so they got clothes.

LolaSmiles · 30/10/2022 06:19

Not unreasonable at all. We got DC a token gift for their first Christmas and asked family if they would consider monetary gift towards swimming/a bigger present when they were a little older.

londonrach · 30/10/2022 06:21

Of course you aren't. I didn't for first Xmas or birthday as I knew she had lots from others and we limited money and space