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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Are we mean not buying our 5 month old a Xmas present??

89 replies

newmum36 · 11/11/2006 17:29

As my ds won't actually remember anything about Christmas (being just under 6 months) and will be getting lots of gifts from friends and family I'm inclined not to really buy him anything.....maybe we might add some money to his Child Trust Fund thingy instead. Is that mean? My dh thinks it is but I said next year will be completely different when he's 18 months old (and probably still won't remember but might need a few more things and will have lots of fun with the Christmas paper!!)...what are your views ?

OP posts:

WriggleJiggle · 11/11/2006 21:21

We have bought dd a big toy truck. It came from oxfam, and to be honest we would have bought it anyway and still kept it for few months till she is old enough to bash it about. It just so happens that she'll probably be about old enough Dec / Jan.

Love the decorative bauble idea.

anniebear · 12/11/2006 12:08

so were my twin girls the only 4 month olds surrounded with presents!!!!!!! lol lol lol

I did get things a little older though so they were for the year ahead!!!

Peridot30 · 12/11/2006 13:16

My ds and dd were born just before christmas. we Bought a swarovski crystal snowflake dated ornament for the tree( keepsake) and also baby gym and nest. Its nice to have 1st Christmas photos for the album.

MaloryTowersBigHeadBigNorks · 12/11/2006 13:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bagpuss30 · 12/11/2006 13:26

ds2 was 5 months last christmas and got some grobags wrapped up as a pressie. We had to do a small stocking because the older two (5 and 3) had stockings also and might have though FC was being a bit mean otherwise.

littlerach · 12/11/2006 13:31

Dd2 was 5 months at Xmas and she received some baby toiletries, wipes and nappies and some of dd1's old rattle things. And it was for dd1's benefit really.

For her first birthday she received a chest of drawers, as it was needed, and she really didn't need or expect anything else!

orangecake · 12/11/2006 13:36

buy him something practical, but small (some new bibs or rubber duck for his bath etc) and wrap it up so that he has something under the tree from mummy and daddy. He will be spoilt rotten from friends/family anyway, so seems silly to spend money on stuff at that moment.

having said that, if you get toys for him, he will soon grow into them so it won't be a waste of money.

i really like the idea of the bauble on the tree, decorate it with his initials and 'babir first birthday' or something similar. he will love looking at this as he gets older and children tend to remember these special tokens of their childhood.

more importantly, just relax and enjoy your first christmas with your new baby, it's such a special time and will probably be the most peacful christmas you will ever have as parents.

for the next five years, your liing room will be filled with the sound of fisher price toys blinking and flashing away at you, few years after that it will be celebrated to sound of talking toys with american accents, then you are on to the playstation years

believe me, you should make the most of this christmas!

orangecake · 12/11/2006 13:37

meant to say 'babies first christmas'

Bucketsofburntdinosaurs · 12/11/2006 13:48

Nah, for the first 3 christmases you can get away with buying something 'for the whole family', like a camcorder, new washing machine, whatever you actually need. Take advantage of it!
This is our 4th Christmas with kids and now DD has watched Polar Express we have our own Christmas police telling us how to do everything.

helenhismadwife · 12/11/2006 15:13

I was the same with our dd's when they were tiny I knew they would get loads from family and friends I told family to just get something really tiny if they wanted to give a present because it was a bit of a waste and we were going to get her some bonus bonds some of our family gave us money as well to get more bonus bonds. Both our dd have some savings more than me

Bucketsofburntdinosaurs · 12/11/2006 18:08

Oh yeah, Child Trust Fund top-ups is a good idea. I've been pleasantly surprised by them even though we don't have a direct debit they've earnt a huge amount of interest. Just as well as we spent our original 'college funds' on moving fees this year

nikkie · 12/11/2006 18:34

I bought dd1 loads for her 1st xmas(as did everyone else) but it tended to be stuff she'd grow into over the next year( she was 9 days old!)With dd2 she didn't get as much( we already had it all ) but had to buy something for dd1s benefit!
I wouldn't go mad just buy something useful/practical and put some money away for the future (as long as you can afford it of course)

JoPG · 12/11/2006 18:35

When I first saw this thread I thought it said 'Are we mean not to buy our 5 YEAR old a Xmas present' - and I thought, yes you are really! My 5 yo would be very upset if he got a Child Trust Fund contribution for his Xmas present, not a great thing to find under the Xmas tree at that age.
However, a 5 month old is totally different, and I would say it would be fine!

PeachyClair · 12/11/2006 19:20

DS1's first Cjhristmas was at 3 weeks, so we just boughtbhim the one thing- it was a sort of fabric piano that had flashing lights and played nursery rhymes, he adored it in fact, stared at it for hours. So I can see both sides,r eally, it's nice to get the stuff you would get anyway- the walker, etc- and wrap it for that special day and the photographs; equally they're not ging to remember.

We've always got our boys (we ahve 3) things for theor 1st chrsitmas, but have tendeed to keep to the 'toys they will plenty of use out of out in the next developmental stages' bracket, and often put them vback after opening in order to have a sequential stash.

fuchsia0703 · 12/11/2006 19:27

I really can't imagine doing this - you don't have to spend a fortune. DD1 was 7 weeks exactly on her 1st Christmas Day and I was so chuffed to have a lovely baby to buy things for. DD2's birthday is 15th December. I would not buy in advance and did not get out of hospital until 21st due to complications. Very shortly before Christmas, I left her with DH and very gingerly drove down to our local Woollies, stitches and all, to get some bits and pieces for her. Neither of our daughters would have had any idea whether we bought anything for them, but, to quote an old saying, "it's the giving that's the most important part".

dmo · 12/11/2006 20:18

we just got ds1 tub of dupol
six mths later he was 1yr old so got him little tikes outdoor stuff for the summer

Original poster

newmum36 · 12/11/2006 21:03

Ooh I'm like a child at Christmas watching this thread. Isn't it great getting all these different points of view - Must borrow my dad's camcorder this Christmas to record all those lovely moments. I fear (or not) that I am becoming addicted to Mumsnet..........
Thanks !

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 12/11/2006 21:03

No.

He's not going to remember.

Just take a bunch of photos of him.

biglips · 12/11/2006 21:05

my dd was 8 weeks old so we just bought her one small Xmas book - think it was a book.

ProfYaffle · 12/11/2006 21:09

We did similar with dd. We topped up her Trust Fund, and asked gp's to do the same. We bought her a token prezzie (can't remember what now), IL's did same, my parents went ott as usual and still bought a mountain of stuff.

flibbertyjibbet · 12/11/2006 21:22

DDs due date was 5th Dec and I wouldn't buy anything in advance. He arrived on 18th Dec and unfortunately was readmitted (he is fine though) the day after we came home. I remember wailing to a midwife that I hadn't even got my baby a christmas present as we were in all over xmas and finally got to go home the day before new years eve! All he got was some bits of rattles from close relatives! Last xmas I was preg again and too tired for much xmas shopping so I reckoned he won't know what its all about and got him a couple of little things. This year DS2 will be 6 months and DS1 just 2, have already got a wardrobe top groaning with all their goodies! Dont' worry about not getting your child a lot if they are young, inlaws supplied more presents that you could shake a stick at so no one noticed that we were being practical (or scroogey!). I am so glad to read this thread and know that I am not a mean mummy. Now, where did I put those 'baby's first xmas' bibs, will be needing them for DS2...

fortyplus · 13/11/2006 09:04

ds1 was born 27th Dec so was 1 for his first Christmas - we spent it with relatives whose child was 16 mnths - they both had a great time hiding in a big cardboard box.

ds2 is a July baby - for his 1st Christmas we did buy him a present - ds1 opened it and played with it all day!

I think the keepsake idea is lovely.

On that subject - when they're older get them to decorate plates for Christmas. Their early drawings are faded and tatty, but the 99p white plates that we baked in the oven with their Christmas designs are as bright as the day they were painted.

3xamum · 13/11/2006 09:22

I'm torn about this. DS2 is going to be 1 a week after xmas and my older 2 are expecting FC to visit them all, so will need to buy him something just not sure what! As others have said they get so much from excited relatives & friends that its best not to go to mad. Will really being doing it for the other childrens benefit I think!

fortyplus · 13/11/2006 09:28

3xamum Yes - that's very important. It doesn't matter what it is - by the time you get to no.3 you've got enough baby toys to start your own toy shop!

But your other 2 will get a lot of pleasure from helping ds2 open his presents and he will enjoy the fuss & attention from the older ones.

jasper · 13/11/2006 09:29

Not mean at all. Perfectly sensible.

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