A Christmas one already?

[willithappen]

Sorrry everyone!
But with the cost of living increasing I'm trying my best to be prepared in advance

My dd is currently 6 months old and will be 11 months on her first Christmas (early January birthday)
I'm not planning too much gifts since she really won't understand all too well, but she will obviously be at a stage where she can take things in. She'll be getting a party and then just money in her bank for her first birthday

I'm looking to make our first Christmas with her as special as we can so looking for lots of ideas to get started on
Thinking of a Christmas Eve box and so far have - family pjamas, Christmas book, maybe a soft toy? Watch a film together, some cookies etc to lay out for Santa - anything else that could go in? What sort of Christmas crafts can you do with a near 1 year old?

Any Christmas traditions/things to do on Christmas together? Or ideas for small presents for her?

Thank you so much in advance!

Sorry I think a Christmas Eve box is a bit OTT especially as, like you say, she'll have no idea what's going on. But if you do want to, what you've described sounds absolutely fine.Its nice to start family traditions but don't overthink it, you'll be lucky getting a nearly one year old to sit through a film. I think a Christmas light trail or something like that would be a nice thing for an 11month old to 'experience' they do them at a few of the national trust properties near me.

I'd keep traditions small and build them up over the years rather than force them.

You might have more luck on the Christmas board.

When DS was 1 we used his hand/foot prints for our family Christmas card and then had the design properly printed to send out to friends and relatives. Similar to the attached.

We also made had him finger paint some clay decorations and then varnished them to give to his grandparents.

If you get a 11 month old to sit through and film, undertake some crafts and put some cookies out without eating/destroying them I’ll be impressed! I’d personally ditch the pyjamas, i’m not a fan and I find it a bit wasteful, but I know lots of families love them. The book and the wee teddy in a special box are a cute idea. I’d suggest a walk through somewhere with lovely lights to look at and a mulled drink and a mince pie at the end.

A light show sounds lovely, thank you for the suggestions
First time mum here so no experience of what an 11 month old may sit through so thanks for the feedback there
I definitely want more experience type stuff than the material things

Go somewhere for a hot chocolate

Can the Xmas eve box. It's not necessary at all and just one of those new things designed to make parents spend more money than they need to.

Same goes for any elf on a shelf - don't start that shit.

I have 2 Jan babies so totally get the struggle between Xmas and birthdays.

They get 1 present under the tree from us plus family presents

Father Christmas brings 1 or 2 (depending on cost) gifts they have asked for plus a selection of books, clothes they need anyway, colouring books, little things, chocolate / sweets etc.

Birthdays they get 1 big present from us.

Xmas eve we do a christingle if we can (covid has stopped that recently) and we make mince pies to leave out for Father Christmas.

For their first christmases we did the same as this, but they totally had no clue what was happening.

A nice pair of new PJs on Christmas Eve and a new book is lovely. I agree with the others that you can add things in as they grow if you want to. Mine are teens but still like getting new PJs and naice hot chocolate on Christmas Eve.

For small presents bath toys are usually good

Oh bath toys are a great shout!

Currently never planning elf of the shelf and hoping I don't change on that in the future or get conned into it! 🙈

She’s 1 she won’t have a clue. Wait until she’s 3

Save your money for when she's about 3 and starts to understand it.

They watch about 2 minutes of brightly coloured TV before crawling off to dismantle a cupboard in my experience so your film might not be the festive experience you hoped for.

Also agree about the film. At 11 months she's highly unlikely to snuggle on the sofa and watch a film with you.

At 11mo any party or gift is strictly for the adults benefit. If cost or space is remotely a concern I'd save money until the summer and then have a half birthday party when it's nice and she will maybe appreciate the party more (although pre 2 theresvery little point) and buy her outdoor toys like a paddling pool, ball pool, sand pit, crawler tunnel, mini climbing frame, swing set, slide, any number of possibilities that she could enjoy at 18months that are pretty useless at nearly 1.

I didn't buy my first anything at 1. For my second he got wrapped up second hand toys and these cheap dinosaur things that looked like a substantial gift so his older brother wouldn't wonder why santa hadn't got his brother anything.

We got a tree decoration each year for each child. At 11 months you will need to choose it but we go to the same garden centre every year and the plan is that they get to take them with them when they leave home. They love getting them out and seeing which one they thought was so cool when they were six!

Yes we do this, the first year we ordered one with their name on and 1st Christmas. But I remember this tradition with my own parents and its a nice one and a good way of decorating your tree!

Nothing wrong with Christmas Eve boxes etc as long as you realise that at this age you're doing it for you, not for her (which is fine).

Mine loved looking at Christmas lights when they were very little- we had a local village that always did an amazing display.

You can do Christmas-y things with her if you want but they'll be for your benefit not hers. She might be content to crawl around on the ground and play with her toys while you watch the movie. Laying out cookies for Santa will mean absolutely nothing to her.

I'm looking forward to family Christmas times in the future too but my son will only be 14 months this year for his 2nd Christmas so I don't see the point in making a fuss when he won't understand it. I probably just try to get some nice family photos and save anything else for when he's a bit older.

For her first Christmas we got stuff like a child friendly nativity set, stocking, bauble etc which we could then use every year. Had to replace stockings last year (they were 8 and 10, we got a matching one as we were thinking of baby 2).

They won't remember it... but you will and you set stuff up for the following Christmases.

(Elf on the shelf... he appeared in 2020. I think many if us did stuff we would never do that year as we just wanted some fun)

I have a 6 yr old and 3 yr old.

Less is more. We’ve always done new Pjs and book on Christmas Eve, nothing else. I’m not a fan of Christmas eve books. We get our Christmas toys and books out at the start of December. Our Christmas fairy brings them now. She also brings advent calendars (1 yrs old is too young for an advent calendar). Our fairy pops up randomly in December with Panto tickets (again wait until 2/3 yrs) or colouring sheets, letter or jobs like bake some Christmas cakes or give to the food bank.

Our children buy a new Christmas decoration for the tree every year. Visiting John Lewis Christmas department or garden centres to look at decorations is great fun.

As for gifts, 3 is enough at that age, anymore and you will be be opening them all week. She will prefer the wrapping paper and boxes. Second hand is always good.

Mine kids were 1 1/2 when they understood Christmas but they expected one or two presents of toys and sweets.

Little ones are easily overwhelmed so less is better for them.

My DS was 5 months on his first Christmas and I still done a Christmas Eve box. I put in some pj's, a book and this baby light toy.

That year we also got him an advent calendar but a Disney book version. It was a lovely calendar.

For toys we went for a lot of the linkimals set. He loved them and still pulls them out now at 3 years old.

*not a fan of Christmas Eve boxes!

I think Xmas eve boxes get super expensive if you're not careful. I got Xmas pjs from Asda for us bought I bought 2 x sizes for DD. We only wear them around Christmas so then we get 2 x christmases out of the same sets. They were £33 for the three of us including the two sets for DD. I wish I'd bought a third set tbh.

We do a gingerbread house together. My brother loved baking and gifted everybody homemade gingerbread at Christmas just a few weeks before he died. It's something we do in memory of him but also to get into the festive spirit and spend quality time together.

Another idea is one of the old-fashioned advent calendars with just a picture each day, which she can watch you open. My babies found this fascinating.

Hobby craft (probably other places too) do a felt Christmas tree with velcro decorations to go on. My dd loved this on her first Christmas and even though she is older now it still gets used each year. It wasn't very expensive but was a nice safe and fun Christmassy thing we could do together. We also took her to see FC in the first year and she was very smiley, especially when they gave her a toy reindeer. We have lovely photos of that and it is a great memory too.

Come join us on the christmas board where its christmas all year round! plus the bargains thread is useful to spread the cost and save money.

Personally as nice as Xmas eve boxes are a dec 1st box is better for getting your monies worth out of PJs and books etc and then having a tradition on xmas eve of a new colouring book during day and a favourite xmas film (ours is Buddy the elf but DD is 8 so a lot older) before bed. We make cinnamon popcorn to eat whilst watching it so house smells christmassy.

The felt tree a PP mentioned is brilliant. Also the happyland christmas figures - we got a lot of play with those. (Nows the time of year to look on ebay for second hand for them.)