18 month old and Christmas

[Mother2oneboy]

Hey guys,

Just looking for any advice on how I can make Christmas special for my 18 month old boy this year! I am really keen to start some traditions that will carry throughout the years but am also aware he may not understand as much being so young.

Any help will be great! Thanks

I've got a 16mo dd and have been thinking the same thing.

A lady I work with has to go back home to her family, as she's the only one who her mum will allow to decorate the tree. I thought that long standing family tradition was really sweet.

Not sure about your ds but my dd will no doubt pull our tree over!

Same here! I'm dreading the tree going up for that reason! [santa]

Ah bugger I've killed your thread!
Hopeful bump for more replies for you.

I read the night before Christmas on...Xmas eve, each dc chooses a new decoration in the run up to Xmas, last year I did an activity advent with ds, then 3, this year I'm working , we do sinterklaas because I'm part Dutch, and we do mince pie and carrots for father Christmas. Dc are now 4 and 19 months.

Could you get a new decoration for the tree each year, with him choosing?

Great ideas guys! I will definitely be trying the night before Christmas and a new decoration each year! Thanks for the bump mingzillas

Watching Christmas Eve Carols from Kings?

(doi my mother swears my son was signing me me when she watched them with him at about 18 months; fast forward several years and this year my parents are coming from overseas in time to attend two sets of advent carol services next weekend ...)

:)

So at the moment I have it planned that we will attend a carol service orchestrated by DS's great grandpa. That's a tradition my DP and I have had in the 10 years we have been dating for. His grandfather is still hosting them every year in our local church so I would love DS to continue with that. I am also going to create an xmas eve box with Christmas themed PJs in them and a Christmas film... I think this year it will have to be the Polar Express or the Grinch as with him being so young, I think these will capture his attention more. I am also going to put the Night Before Christmas in it to read to him, along with some chocolate goodies. I am going to do the whole tictacs planted in snow (icing sugar) so that when he wakes up, candy canes have grown over night! I am also going to take him to pick a Christmas tree decoration as I love he idea of him picking one every year. I have bought him a personalised plate for santas mince pie and rudolphs carrot. I even have an old fashioned milk bottle to decorate with some festive ribbon. Last year he received two CDs that were personalised Christmas songs or stories so I plan to play these to him in the run up to xmas day. If anyone can think of anything else to add to the festivities then I would be grateful

Dc3 is 20 months and we obviously already have traditions as we have an 8 and 5 year old, but thought I would share.

On Christmas Eve we always go to the Christingle service at the church and then have dinner with my grandma, either at her house or ours. While we are out the Elves visit and leave a gift, pyjamas or a book. Then the children have a bath and we put on a Christmas film. Usually something short like The Snowman or Father Christmas, they are too excited to watch a long film!

We read The Night Before Christmas and set out milk, mince pies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer. Christmas Eve is my favourite day!

Sounds like a lovely Christmas Eve mummypig24! I love he idea of going ou and elves dropping the gifts off

We have Elf on the Shelf, but not the original elves, ours are soft and cuddly. I have a girl and a boy elf (one for DS and one for DD). Once they have grown up and move out they will take their elf with them. Our elves arrive on the 1st of December with advent calendars and new Christmas pj's (so they get the whole month wear out of them).

We also sprinkle reindeer food on the grass on Christmas Eve along with trying to watch a film (kids are 4 and 22 months), and reading the Night Before Christmas.

The kids always get a little orange/satsuma and chocolate coins in their stocking.

I was also brought up with the same in my stocking and a silver coin got luck. I will definitely be doing the elf on a shelf but will save that for next year when he's able to understand more. Thanks for the ideas guys!

DD will be 18 months at Christmas. I started last year by buying a decoration for the tree and will get one every year until she leaves home. She can choose when she is older. This means she will have her own decorations to take with her.

Night before Christmas as the bedtime story. I have a classic version I had as a child which I tracked down on ebay. And carols from Kings of course. I think our main tradition will be the christmas baking. Am not bothering with elf on the shelf or christmas eve pjs (I would want the pjs earlier in winter to make the most of them). I think the season can be magical enough without them.

One new thing I have done this year is to start collecting things for the womens refuge shoebox appeal. I want to do this each year as a tradition. Not sure if you would consider something like this? Perhaps get your DS to choose a gift for a child in need or some food for the foodbank?

Also the christmas stocking - perhaps you could include something that you buy every year? silly socks and a satsuma perhaps?

Oh yes we also have to put Santa's key out and usually sprinkle reindeer food too (oats and glitter).

Ds is 19m, dds are 6 and 10.

We go and pick a tree on December the 1st. i take photos of DC decorating it.

On the 23rd we have a baking morning. We make gingerbread men and mince pies. The kitchen is deep cleaned after.

Christmas Eve we go to the matinee panto, then get a takeaway on the way home, to save my clean kitchen. DC paint pillowcases to hang up for Santa, and decorate a plate each to put on a mince pie for Santa they cooked the previous day.

Awww what a great idea painting pillowcases! That's definitely one for DS when he's a few years older!

Last year I painted DSs hands green and we hand printed a pillow case into a Christmas tree shape. It looked awesome. And he had great fun doing it.

I tried doing foot prints two weeks ago in the form of a tree with the toes as red baubles and a brown reindeer. They were a disaster