To not get 10 month old loads for Christmas

[Dinglewoop]

This is my first baby and they'll be 10 months at Christmas. He's already got loads of toys and I imagine extended family will buy loads more for Christmas. We live in a tiny house and we're trying to save money as I'm on mat leave so I was thinking of just getting baby things he actually needs (e.g new spoons, bib, clothes for 12 months plus, etc.). I'd be buying this stuff anyway but thought I could wrap it all up and imagine baby will love the wrapping and boxes more than anything. This seems practical but I'm also feeling a bit guilty as I feel like I'm being a Scrooge. What do other people do? Is this normal?

That sounds absolutely fine 🙂
We bought stuff and probably went overboard and some of it was never played with. You sound sensible and your baby will be happy.

That’s fine. I’m not even going to wrap
anything for my 10 month old. All he wants is some attention, smiles, songs and banana

Sounds perfect. I’d be tempted to pass your list out to family as well and if they want to spend more ask for them to chip in for a national trust membership so you have some lovely places to take baby next summer or premium bonds.

Don't get anything, ask everyone for money and put in account for the child or spend it on stuff they need. As you say, they will just enjoy unwrapping stuff and won't know what it's all about. You could even get charity shop toys so they get the toys but they don't cost the earth.

My LO will be 8 months and we’re doing the “something you want etc” which will include an activity block, a bookshelf, a new pram suit and a set of books. Granny is buying her a walker with blocks and nanny is buying a ball pit.
I’ve also got her a small stocking to put a few smaller toys in but absolutely no way are we spending loads of having stacks of presents!

I think you are absolutely right. Ten month olds won't really know what is going on at Christmas anyway.

When mine were that age they were much more interested in the box and the wrapping paper than what had been inside it. Sometimes I thought I should just have wrapped up a few empty boxes and they wouldn't even have noticed. They'd have been just as happy.🤣

I have 2 (non twin) January babies and I actually re-wrapped their Christmas gifts for their birthday's for the first few years (Christmases they were 11 months / almost 2) as they really did enjoy the opening more than what was inside the paper.

Now they are older I always include some boring gifts on Birthday's / at Xmas (new socks / undies / slippers - IE things that are needed and I'd be buying anyway - may was well give them another gift to open)

My daughter's best present at that age was a megabloks alphabet train. Cost £1 from a charity shop. Played with all day xmas day and then still popular with her and younger siblings for about the next 7 years!

I'd ask family to stick to one small toy or book if they must, and then money towards a season ticket to somewhere fun locally that you and baby will enjoy all year.

You are doing absolutely the right thing! If it makes you feel better, save the money you would've spent on toys to spend on something to play with in the garden in the summer.
I would though buy one of those weighted balloons. Not terribly expensive but most babies seem to love them once they can sit up.

We didn’t get anything for the first Christmas which was lucky as he was spoilt rotten by our extended family! But he was just happy with the atmosphere regardless. I’m sure yours will love the wrapping paper regardless of what’s inside!

Absolutely no need to buy them much. My youngest DD will be almost 1 at Christmas and I'm getting her bits from charity shops or marketplace. I'm doing this more for the benefit of my older DD who is 5 and will wonder why santa hasn't brought her sister anything.
I will also do similar on her first birthday which is 4th January, but will get one bigger present new also.

This sounds totally the right approach. My DD is 2 and for her first 2 Christmases I literally got her a couple of items of clothing to unwrap what I would have bought anyway, and she still seemed to have lots of stuff once you add in gifts from grandparents etc. This year I managed to get her one of the wooden toy kitchen's in the Aldi toy event, and this is all we're getting her. She loves role play at the moment it's pointless getting anything else!

I don’t think we bought anything for ours at that age. Absolutely no point. We might’ve wrapped up a couple of things they already needed like sleepsuits and a winter coat.

I wouldn't even buy anything for such a small child unless it was friends' baby where the present is really more for the parents.

Thanks for all the replies and advice! Charity shop toys, premium bonds and re-wrapping for his birthday are great ideas x

I did this when mine were small too, think I got one of them a highchair and bowls for Christmas because they were about 5 months so almost weaning age! It just makes sense to do this, they don’t have a clue what’s going on anyway…

Oh but do buy plenty of books! Always a good one when you don’t need toys.

They don’t really need proper presents until they are old enough to understand the concept of Christmas - maybe 3/4 years old?
I would just spend any money on having a nice time or saving the money if you need to rather than ‘things’.

He's not going to remember it. People get kids far too much, I've seen videos of kids opening presents and they're just overwhelmed because they've had so much. Couple of things to unwrap is fine - whether they're from you or family.

Next year is where the Christmas fun will really start for you as he'll have a better idea of what's going on.

My son was 2 months for his first Christmas, we brought him a personalised Christmas book (which we get out every year) and a bath toy and that was it. He got loads of stuff from family and knew no different. TBH even the next year he didn't care! He only started caring about presents when he was around 3 or 4 years old!

I agree with this, you can never have too many books!

With DS1 we wrapped things he already had until he was 2 because he got so much from everyone else it was pointless spending more money on more stuff.

With DS2 for his first 2yrs we re wrapped toys that DS1 had grown out of.

We didn't buy either of them a 'new' birthday or Christmas gift until they were 3.

My little one turns 1 four days before Christmas Day - I’m currently decluttering to the bare bones because my house is going to be upside down 🙃🙃
Ive just resigned myself to the fact my house is going to be a shit show.. I’ve said for people to give money for his birthday and presents for Xmas but I know they’ll ignore it and get presents.