Traditions

[ForeverA]

I’m a new Mum this year - DD will be 7 months old at Christmas.

I’m not creative at all, so would really appreciate some ideas of Christmas traditions to start from this year that will last forever!

Please share any ideas you have 💕

Honestly, this year and next (at least) I'd just focus on doing whatever makes you happy and not worry particularly about traditions for traditions sake. My guys didn't really have a clue what was going on until about 3 and have found that now they are 9 and 5, traditions have developed naturally over time.

So things that my guys really look forward to are the pre Christmas Eve church walk and KFC trip; walking/driving around the big "posh" estates to see their Christmas lights with snack and flasks; our day out to the Trafford Centre to buy everyone's presents which includes me being blindfolded while they pick out my presents. These are obviously small things that have evolved due to routine and single mum necessity, but they genuinely love them and look forward to every year.

Also worked out fairly quickly that December 1st boxes make so much more sense than Christmas Eve ones - you have the whole month to do the crafts inside, read the books, wear the pjs etc.

One thing that I will recommend though is getting a bauble for her every year. It's so cute when you're putting the decs up and they know which ones are "theirs" and you can talk about previous years while you put the tree up.

Congratulations and your first Christmas with a baby is so exciting!

I have always made stockings up for my sons. They are now 21 and 19 and I still do. I always will! They mostly now prefer money so the stockings contain Lynx, socks etc..

We always tracked Santa on the NORAD site when they were little (during the Christmases when they were babies, I used to sit with my dad watching it on Christmas Eve!).

I bought a lovely wooden house advent calendar and popped 2 chocolates a day in it every year. I still have it but think it's in need of some TLC.

We went to a Pantomine every year with their cousins when they were young.

I have no doubt other people will have loads of other great ideas.

Enjoy it!

The Night Before Christmas is the DC’s bedtime story every year on Christmas Eve. They’ve got a lovely pop-up version of the story.

Do not ever, and I repeat, ever, get a bastarding sodding elf on the effing shelf.

My DC are now 12 & 15 so we’ve had a few years of building traditions. I remember trying to consider it when they were tiny but the reality is that the traditions they love the most have often happened by accident or at least with less planning.

They absolutely love opening their stockings in their PJs on our bed in the morning. Even if there are people or if we’re staying at someone else’s house, it’s something we always do just the four of us. Stocking gifts are always wrapped in plain tissue paper (gold for one and silver for the other). It makes it easier if they tip them out and they get jumbled, it’s slightly less wasteful and just feels like something the elves might do. They love going to choose the Christmas tree together. From when the eldest was 3 we’ve been taking them to choose a bauble/decoration each and they love having their own collection which one day they’ll take with them.

Do not start a tradition that you cannot see yourself continuing for 25 years!
So I second no elf on a shelf!😆

Agree with all this wisdom.
By all means start something little like a December first box, new ornament or going to a local carol concert. But keep it small. Put pjs and hot chocolate in the box not tickets to ice skating, an enormous squishmallow and a full new bed set. 😂

Imagine yourself with 4 children (even if you don’t plan 4!) and with less income than you have now - will you still want/be able yo
do this?

Traditions will gradually grow. Things that don’t work don’t get repeated so they don’t become a tradition. We always go pick the tree together and then set a time/date when we’ll decorate it. They get all the Xmas books and clothes out on nov 30th when they get given their advent calendars. We’re on the third year running of panto with specific relatives in their home town so that’s pretty much become a tradition.

Traditions exist because they evolve over time. Often driven by things that, as a family, you found you all enjoy and look forward to. I wouldn't worry too much about creating traditions at this point myself - just enjoy the time. endless pictures of cute baby sitting in a pile of wrapping paper etc, looking bemused.

Wrap yourself up , put on your comfiest walking shoes , wrap your daughter up in her pram and go for an late walk round looking at the neighbours lights .
Have a nice mug of coffee/hot chocolate or beverage of choice waiting .

DH and I did this when our baby son (now 26yo) was only three weeks old ( and he never bloody slept !) We were both like zombies but it was such a nice memory .
And yes Traditions evolve
Take loads of photos .
And I second the Do not ever, and I repeat, ever, get a bastarding sodding elf on the effing shelf

They are fun for a week at most .

A new bauble each year is something we have done as well. They reflect something from the year, so we might pick one up on holiday or get one that is about something one of the dc has done or has loved so now our tree is full of memories which is lovely. We have a fabric refillable advent calendar which the elves fill each night and has been out for 20 years now! Although the elves have been known to forget!!! Keep things simple and small and build on them.

We get a new bauble every year with something on it to reflect the year (this year it’s stitch from lilo and stitch as DD2 is a huge fan)
we do a little December 1st box - festive pjs, Christmas books we’ve collected over the year, advent calendars and elves
our elves aren’t the super creepy ones, they’re cute Jellycat elves, and they aren’t naughty, they just hang out in the playroom, occasionally bring a little gift, tickets for an outing or “play” with the toys.
we always go to see Santa at the same local farm, we’ve done it every year since DD1 was 1 and she’s 6 next month.
we go to a church Christingle service on Christmas Eve to make our Christingle oranges, sing carols and listen to the Nativity story
we take a donation of selection boxes to our local food bank

We also have a refillable advent calender that the elves bring with Christmas pjs so they can wear them all month. No Christmas eve boxes here, and we only do one Santa experience each year (started when DS was nearly 3). Santa is too busy to keep seeing him everywhere!

We also bake the cookies for santa on Christmas Eve, and stockings are for upstairs before the main event. I usually do a wreath but with a tiny baby I probably will skip it this year, out buy one. We also make sure to do some giving, like buy toys for the toy drive and/or food for the food bank.

DH's birthday is the end of November which works really well as a back stop, no Christmas events happen before his birthday (like decorating the house). Keeps the magic contained!

Not quite a tradition but I did make salt dough decorations using their hands and feet when they were small. As they got bigger it was too much dough and too heavy. They are my favourite decorations.