Gifts/traditions for 1 year old

[IcedCoffeeAlways]

Our baby will be 14 months at Christmas. Gift ideas would be much appreciated? What was/is your DCs favourite toys at that age?

I also love the idea of starting some of our own family traditions. Can anyone suggest anything nice to start when they’re this young?

DHs job means that he’ll be away from home every 2nd Christmas (for a few weeks right over Xmas and new year). The family that we have close-by spend their Christmas abroad at other family so some years it will just be DS and I alone and I still want it to be exciting for him!

Following for ideas

New bauble every year is a nice idea
Stockings
Matching pyjamas
A walk on Christmas morning

I like that stamp @JasonMomoasgirlfriend but does it make it more difficult to give books away or am I missing the point?!

Dc1 was only 3 weeks on his first Christmas but a relative got him a stocking with born in 2014 on it, it comes out every year and I plan to for as long as it lasts. We have done the same for siblings. Christmas lights at the garden centre is still loved by all, they have some great light displays. We go for a Holly hunt too.

@BunnytheFriendlyDragon yes to be honest I would only stamp the extra nice books we would keep rather than any old book.

I think it will be cute to stamp in his jotters when he is old enough :)

@Just10moreminutesplease

It’s my baby’s first Christmas too .

So far I’m planning a nice trip to choose a bauble that can be repeated each year but I’m following for more ideas!

Mine's will be first too 😊. Can I just ask where will you get the bauble? Been looking for somewhere near me and I just can't find anywhere that does it.

A personalised book each year is a lovely idea and can be something you read together at Christmas every year as part of your family traditions! Maybe in some lovely new cosy pyjamas. You sound like such a lovely mum

Some really nice ideas everyone, thanks 😊

@Caspianberg - I was considering a pikler triangle set too! I also have a climber already at 11months and I can’t decide whether to embrace it or discourage it 🤣 at the moment he’s determined to climb over the back of the couch 😬 The triangle sets are a bit pricey - but I’m sure it’ll be used for years!

@Incywinceyspider I think I’m struggling so much for ideas because I have his first birthday coming up so I’ve used up what ideas I had 😅 we haven’t gone crazy and have just got him a few bits for his birthday but lots of family have asked for specific ideas too so I’ve given all mine away 😅 Hes getting megablocks, a ride on and we have a tractor with animals (from Smyths - not sure if it’s the same one you’re talking about!) for him as some of his birthday gifts.
DS is walking - although not quite well enough to be out and about walking yet. So I love the idea of reins. And a wee backpack will be handy for him. Going to pop them on the Christmas list 😊 I got him a lovely personalised stocking last year for his 1st Christmas so I intend on filling that with bits and pieces for him this year too 😊

@70isaLimitNotaTarget I’m honestly so excited for everything that Christmas with children is 😊 the stressful parts and all 😅🤣 it’s my favourite time of year and I can’t wait to make lots of beautiful memories for my kids ❤️
Absolutely typical of them falling asleep though 🤣I’ve booked some Christmas light walk through things for us this year and I know DS will be the same 🤣🤣

@youvegottenminuteslynn Thank you ❤️ I hope my DS and any future children think the same 😅 We’re big book fans in this house 👍🏻 We’ve read a bedtime book every night since he was born and he absolutely loves cosying in for his story so Christmas books are definitely on the plan! I’ve just ordered some great ones from TK Maxx online actually! They have some really lovely things in just now 😊 and the matching PJs arrived yesterday 😊 I’ve gone matching classic red tartan brushed cotton button down for us all 😊 and then I couldn’t resist some matching novelty ones too 😅

[quote IcedCoffeeAlways]@youvegottenminuteslynn Thank you ❤️ I hope my DS and any future children think the same 😅 We’re big book fans in this house 👍🏻 We’ve read a bedtime book every night since he was born and he absolutely loves cosying in for his story so Christmas books are definitely on the plan! I’ve just ordered some great ones from TK Maxx online actually! They have some really lovely things in just now 😊 and the matching PJs arrived yesterday 😊 I’ve gone matching classic red tartan brushed cotton button down for us all 😊 and then I couldn’t resist some matching novelty ones too 😅[/quote]
Maybe hot choc mugs too when they are big enough! Mini sized mugs make me melt!

Start a christmas book box.
I always do xmas pjs on dec 1st to make the most of them. Santa brings them a size too big especially.
Loads of special things on cbeebies. The pantos are brilliant

My DS was born just before Christmas and wk be turning 2 this year. Our only tradition's so far is new Christmas pyjamas on Christmas eve, reading The Night Before Christmas before bedtime and family photo on Christmas day. We took him to buy a tree bauble last year so think we will continue to do that each year too.
Last year he had just turned 1yo. His main gift was a wooden swing set in the garden. Wanted to get something that would last a long time. He still loves playing on it. He also loved a ride on Zebra that he got from his aunty, and he still is getting use from it and some Megabloks. We didn't buy him that much because we knew he would be spoiled with gifts from our families.

@youvegottenminuteslynn I’m with you on the mini mugs 😍 Emma Bridgewater does some really cute personalised ones!

@mogtheexcellent Absolutely agree with doing the pyjamas at the start of Dec 👍🏻 Planning on matching family pjs for putting up the tree on the 1st December 😊 I’ve usually been a “tree up 12 days before and down 12 days after” person but my DH will be here at the start of Dec then away with work until 23rd so will be nicer for the tree to be done as a family before he goes 😊

@Raggeo I love the idea of the swing set 😊 it’s the kind of thing that will be used for years so it’s a great gift! We’ve agreed on no big garden toys this year as we’re planning to move next summer but it’s definitely on the birthday or Christmas list for next year 😊

@IcedCoffeeAlways - I think you just need to embrace the climbing! Ds started walking at 9months, so at 17 months he’s now had plenty of practice. No where is now safe for me to put a drink down. I’m hoping the pikler triangle set will save my sofa/ coffee table/ dining table/ bed/ bath all being climbed on and leapt off quite so frequent!

I get my son a special tree ornament for the first pocket of his advent calendar. Usually a Disney one as he loves Disney films.

[quote Caspianberg]@IcedCoffeeAlways - I think you just need to embrace the climbing! Ds started walking at 9months, so at 17 months he’s now had plenty of practice. No where is now safe for me to put a drink down. I’m hoping the pikler triangle set will save my sofa/ coffee table/ dining table/ bed/ bath all being climbed on and leapt off quite so frequent![/quote]
@Caspianberg 🤣 hopefully the pikler triangle works 🤞🏼 My DS was walking at 10 months and was able to climb onto our sofa from the floor before he could walk so he’s definitely a natural climber 😅 it’s been quite funny actually as we had lots of family/friends that live further away who never had the chance to meet him until recently due to the various lockdowns etc so his auntie and uncle met him at 10.5months and came in expecting baby cuddles and were greeted by a little whirlwind running round, scaling the sofa, shouting and causing general chaos 😅

I always tried to leave anything festive until December to make that month more magical and avoid the children getting fatigued of waiting for Christmas. In fact most stuff I save for the weekend before Christmas or Christmas Eve.
Go to the garden centre and I’d let the dc’s each pick out a bauble they liked, followed by a cafe visit.
late night shopping when the Christmas lights were on.
Do a Christmas jigsaw
Decorate a gingerbread house
Go to christingle service
Visit Father Christmas on a steam train
Watch festive movie with popcorn
Go to panto
Luckily elf on the shelf hadn’t been invented when my children were little, that would be far too much faff for me. Beware of starting new traditions that will be a chore and you cannot enjoy too!

@DressBitch

I get my son a special tree ornament for the first pocket of his advent calendar. Usually a Disney one as he loves Disney films.

@DressBitch love the idea of a nice ornament every year too 😊 we got him a lovely 1st Christmas one last year but this year I might start him a collection of baubles 😊 I have a lovely artificial tree that we don’t use now so once he’s a bit bigger, if he wanted, he could get that in his room or playroom with all this baubles on and have “his tree” 😊

If you son is choosing a bauble for the tree, don't count on it being a nice one😂😂 My DS knows his own mind and last year as a 1 year old the only one he wanted was the tackiest and ugliest one in the shop. Despite my best efforts in getting him excited about any of the others😂 will be interesting to see what he chooses this year.

@JasonMomoasgirlfriend That's true. I'm very likely to order one for him

@CoolShoeshine

I always tried to leave anything festive until December to make that month more magical and avoid the children getting fatigued of waiting for Christmas. In fact most stuff I save for the weekend before Christmas or Christmas Eve. Go to the garden centre and I’d let the dc’s each pick out a bauble they liked, followed by a cafe visit. late night shopping when the Christmas lights were on. Do a Christmas jigsaw Decorate a gingerbread house Go to christingle service Visit Father Christmas on a steam train Watch festive movie with popcorn Go to panto Luckily elf on the shelf hadn’t been invented when my children were little, that would be far too much faff for me. Beware of starting new traditions that will be a chore and you cannot enjoy too!

@CoolShoeshine completely agree with saving it for December 😊 our wee town does a Yuletide night on Dec 1st every year - lights, carols, all the wee shops are open late and handing out mulled wine/Christmas cake/mince pies etc and there’s wee rides etc for the kids 😊 so that’s really the start of Christmas for us - tree up, out for a walk around and a mulled wine etc then home for a christmas movie 😊 I’ll definitely keep that in mind about starting traditions that become a chore though! I don’t work in a job that gets the 2 weeks off at Christmas and DH works offshore so our family time is limited over Christmas. Just looking for small things that we can keep up that will always happen regardless of if it’s only me or DH there with him rather than both.

@Raggeo

If you son is choosing a bauble for the tree, don't count on it being a nice one😂😂 My DS knows his own mind and last year as a 1 year old the only one he wanted was the tackiest and ugliest one in the shop. Despite my best efforts in getting him excited about any of the others😂 will be interesting to see what he chooses this year.

@Raggeo I’ve said to DH each year for the past few years that I’m strangely into those super tacky decorations that seem to be everywhere just now 😅 you know the type you get in Paperchase etc? A dinosaur on a rocking horse, a mermaid, a burrito 🤣🤣 kept telling him I was going to do our beautiful tree l and then a super tacky tree in another room 🤣 maybe this is finally how I’ll get my tacky tree!

I like the idea of a personalised book on xmas eve and maybe pyjamas

Orders a stamp...

Hi @Just10moreminutesplease we got him this little tikes one!

www.littletikes.co.uk/play-n-scoot-pirate-ship/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnoqLBhD4ARIsAL5JedJXDNrwhiBc9D57FbmuyMPGUDtQ4pVk3SkQoSRaDR2cKqhzDOA76bcaAvwyEALw_wcB

Haven't read the whole thread, so sorry if this has been suggested earlier. My daughter gets a new snow glove every year. Will keep going till she's 18, then the collection will be hers. Love getting them out and placing them on our bay window each year. Lovely memories

[quote FilthyforFirth]Hi @Just10moreminutesplease we got him this little tikes one!

www.littletikes.co.uk/play-n-scoot-pirate-ship/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnoqLBhD4ARIsAL5JedJXDNrwhiBc9D57FbmuyMPGUDtQ4pVk3SkQoSRaDR2cKqhzDOA76bcaAvwyEALw_wcB[/quote]
That's fab haha