Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

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

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:
PeachyClair · 13/11/2006 20:46

Piluncha, at that age how about some little puppets- they're excellent developmental toy as wella sbeing good old fashioned fun. And maybe a bath book, something sweet (not necessarily sweets), puzzle and picture dominoes.

Bevspooner · 13/11/2006 21:29

Me and the hubby have been having this very discussion as some people go OTT at christmas and buy millions of pressies.
We've decided to get a couple of things and leave the rest to the grandparents.
I do like the idea of getting a plate or something with his footprints on from one of those pottery places though..... oh decisions, decisions
Very exited though for his 1st Christmas

Linnet · 13/11/2006 21:40

my dd1 was 4 months old at her first christmas, I know we got her a little something but I can't remember what it was She got loads of stuffed toys and clothes from everyone else though.

Dd2 was 7 months old at her first christmas I was all for getting her nothing much at all but of course dd1 wrote out a list for dd2 and we couldn't give dd1 and not dd2. So dd2 got a highchair which she needed and a noisy toy of some sort which escapes me. plus again she got lots from everyone else.

HazelnutHazelnutsTree · 13/11/2006 21:59

I got my DD for her 1st Christmas a big Christmas teddy with her name on it. She was only 5 weeks old on her first Christmas but she will always have the teddy to look back on. I have loads of photos of her in "my first Christmas cloths and party hats and with her brothers.

My DSs did not get much for their first Christmas and a few more Christmas after either as their dad (xp1) would not let me have any money to get anything.

I don't think they need loads of toys etc for their 1st and 2nd Christmass, as they have loads from other people anyway. BUT I do think they should have something really special for those 1st 2 Christmass. I got DD her 1st doll last year. Its her special baby doll now.

I really feel bad for not being able to get the DSs anything special for their 1st Christmas`s

I am thinking about getting them something special and just making out they had it on their 1st Christmas. But I also want them to know that their dad was a real shit to them and myself. I dont see why I should make out things were great with him and that he did thing good with them when he never, and even stopped me from doing anything good for them.

sweetkitty · 13/11/2006 22:10

DD1 was 5 months at Christmas and we did buy her about half a dozen things but they were things I would have bought anyway like stacking cups, wondercubes from ELC which are fab, her first teddy bear, some books etc so the next stage developmental toys anyway.

DD2 will be 11 months this year and she's getting a teddy and a wooden walker thing, do feel a bit guilty though but she has loads of DD1's old toys.

BexieID · 13/11/2006 23:31

Thomas will be 8 months old. I was thinking of getting him a little stocking and filling it with a few small toys. I've got a few 2nd hand toys off here for him to have for xmas and b/day in April. My parents got him a learn and groove which he already hanow to use. DFs parents have got him some kinda ride on toy rocker thing.

If anything, I feel mean getting him 2nd hand stuff! At least if he doesn't end up liking it, I can sell it on and not loose out on much.

I still need to sort out his Child Trust Fund thingy!

Funky2603 · 14/11/2006 08:34

I don't think it is mean to give little ones money for Christmas/birthdays. You are doing them a favour (assuming you put it into a strictly controlled savings account) as I am sure they will thank you in years to come when a) they have learnt the value of saving and, most importantly, b) have the deposit on their first home/car/wedding etc. I try and encourage all our family to give my dd money for Christmas/birthdays but to no avail, so it is down to us. She gets loads of toys from everyone else, we tend to just buy her one or two presents and the rest goes into either her child trust fund or her savings account.

dodgykeeper · 14/11/2006 10:07

My ds was born on the 5th Dec so he really had no idea what was going on that first Christmas. My dd was almost 3 though so we had to buy him something to keep the Santa illusion for her. You wouldn't think a 3 yr old would pick up on such a thing but my friend in the same situation chose not to buy for the new baby resulting in her sibling telling everyone that the baby was very very bad! lol.
We bought ds one of those inflatable rings with the gym over it that we would probably have bought anyway. Its easy to get carried away and buy lots of things that they don't really need; I think putting money away for them is a very sensible idea.

BudaBeast · 14/11/2006 10:12

My DS was 5 months at his first Xmas and I did get him some bits and pieces. We were living in Bulgaria and spending Xmas in Dublin and I ordered a few Lamaze toys and a couple of books from Amazon. DH suggested I just have them sent straight to Bulgaria but I insisted that DS had to have them on Xmas Day!! Twas def more about me!!

DS is now 5 YEARS and wrote his letter to Santa last night! He wants a Lego Star Wars II Playstation game. How times change!!!

spinamum · 14/11/2006 11:53

we have always tended to buy stuff DC need rather than unecessary tat. That's what grandparents are for (on both sides!) Even this year at age three ds1 will not have hundreds of pounds spent on him by fc or mummy and daddy.
Kids even at the grand old age of three don't need to play "who's got the biggest/moist expensive?" Now I realise in a few years time I'll be dealing with a very consumer savvy young man, but while you've got some control over what they get, do what feels right for you. I did buy him some lamaze stuff for xmas1 (he was 3mth old) but the video is of daddy opening his presents and shoving them in his (very not bothered) face, mummy exclaiming how wonderful the toys were and how they'd help him to learn lots of exciting things(like where his feet where!)

Now I ask you, who were those pressies really for!
DS2 is due xmas day(so prob won't even be in video!) but we'll still buy him something little(like a duck shaped bath thermometer or a rattle) but that's more for DS1's benefit.

Marne · 15/11/2006 10:25

dd2 will be 9 months at christmas, ive spent a fortune, mostly on things she will need over the next year, clothes, books, her first pair of shoes and a few toys. I did'nt want dd1 to think father christmas did'nt bring anything for her sister. Also put dd2's name on dd1's main present as one day she might use it.
I dont think i could not buy anything for her, i love christmas and buying things for the kids and there is so much they will need over the next year as they grow so fast.

midnightexpress · 15/11/2006 14:09

DH and I were wondering whether a stocking full of rice cakes would suffice for DS (1 last week and got TONS of presents), or possibly one of his socks.

Last Christmas he was only a few weeks old and still got more than we did, but I really don't think it's worth spending a fortune on things he won't even remember having in a couple of years. As many of the other mums have said, make the most of the fuss-free Christmas while you can - put some money in your own savings so you can afford all the toys he'll be demanding in a year or two!

Am wary of putting money into DS's Child Trust Fund as his first statement came the other week and it's now worth less than when we opened it. Hey ho.

MammyM · 15/11/2006 15:43

We've bought first Christmas presents for each of our children and this year will be no exception, dd2 will be 6 months old. Each of the children have been bought a lladro first Christmas ornament which are really something special (they should be for the price) we also buy them toys etc for the year ahead as they change so much in the first year.

HappyHeadache · 15/11/2006 20:04

my DD now 5 was 1o weeks oldat her first xmas and we just bought nappies and wipes etc so we didnt feel so bad and it was things she needed anyway

New posts on this thread. Refresh page