The reflective time of the Christmas holidays offers a wonderful opportunity to look back on the past year. If you’ve had a child in the last twelve months, you’re looking back on a very special year—and you’re probably already looking forward to celebrating your first Christmas together with your baby. Perhaps you’re also wondering how your child will cope with the holiday hustle and bustle, and how you can make the Christmas season a special time for the whole family without overwhelming them. In this article, you’ll learn what to keep in mind as you celebrate your first Christmas with your little explorer.
Childproof Christmas decorations
Festive decorations don’t just put you in the Christmas spirit before the holidays. Your baby will also be especially captivated by the many Lights and fascinated by the Music during the Christmas season. Between the sixth and eighth month, their vision is already developed enough to perceive their surroundings much like you do. However, small decorative items can also pose a danger to your baby. Here’s how to decorate safely for your baby:
Arrange the Christmas tree or fir branches so they cannot tip over. Keep tree decorations out of reach of curious little fingers so your child can’t pull them down or hurt themselves. You should completely avoid small decorations that your child could swallow.
Instead of fragile glass ornaments, choose plastic baubles or tree decorations made from other materials that are less likely to break. If your child is a bit older, you can, for example, collect natural materials like pinecones as tree decorations during a walk or make your own from cookies or salt dough.
Avoid certain plants such as Christmas stars and mistletoe, which are toxic to babies and young children.
Even though candlelight is beautiful, once your baby is mobile, real candles are not the right choice. Instead, use LED string lights: they do not heat up and consume 95 percent less electricity than traditional string lights. However, avoid loose, easily accessible power cords that your baby could trip over or strangle themselves with. One more tip: with a timer, the string lights automatically turn off at the same time every day. This way, you can enjoy the lights together with your little explorer and won’t forget to turn them off before bedtime.
Family visit during the Christmas season
Especially at Christmas, the whole family often comes together. This year, your baby will surely be the center of attention. However, so many unfamiliar people and new impressions can also be stressful. Therefore, try to limit family visits to the closest relatives or, if possible, spread them over several days to avoid overwhelming your baby. It’s best to discuss in advance with relatives when you plan to visit and how many visitors you’re comfortable having, so expectations stay realistic. Additionally, especially with a newborn, it can help to invite loved ones to your home instead of visiting the entire family yourself. This way, your baby stays in their familiar environment , and it becomes easier to stick to your routine despite the hustle and bustle.
If you celebrate Christmas outside your own four walls, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and bring everything your baby needs. Familiar items can provide security during the exciting celebrations and help ensure that you and your partner can enjoy the holidays, too. Also remember that not every environment is automatically baby-proof. Keep a close eye on your little explorer as they investigate, and stay alert to potential hazards.
Baby-appropriate gifts
Even if gift-giving in the coming years will surely bring bright children’s eyes, in the first year of life your baby can’t do much with most presents yet, and they play a rather minor role. If you still want to give something small, depending on their age you might consider a teething ring, crinkly toys, or a book to look at and enjoy. Your family will probably also want to give your little explorer something for their first Christmas. It’s best to coordinate with them beforehand about what you really need, so your baby isn’t overwhelmed with gifts that are lovely but too many—or even duplicates.
The biggest hit with your baby is certainly the crinkly wrapping paper. Unfortunately, wrapping paper is often difficult to recycle due to its coating. So, if you want to avoid unnecessary waste when wrapping gifts, a soft cloth that you can reuse afterwards is a lovely alternative. We bet your little explorer will love feeling and playing with the soft material.
Maybe your relatives can also team up and gift you something useful like a . While a new toy for your baby can quickly become boring, you’ll use it all year round!
The right preparation
Christmas may be something very special for you, but your baby doesn’t yet understand the hustle and bustle and still needs their familiar routines. Therefore, start planning for the holidays early to avoid unnecessary stress, which could affect your child. At the same time, try not to overload yourself with expectations that are too high. The past few years may have been filled with Advent parties, shopping marathons, and a perfectly decorated apartment—but with a baby, many things will be different from what you’re used to. The most important thing this year is that you feel comfortable and that you can enjoy quality time together in peace .
Just because you might take it a bit easier this year doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the Christmas anticipation with your baby and create your own little rituals. With the of Christmas books, for example, you can get yourself and your child into the festive spirit. Even if they don’t fully understand what it’s about yet, they will appreciate the quality time and harmonious atmosphere. If attending church services is part of your Christmas tradition, it’s best to check with your congregation whether a children’s service is offered in the afternoon. These are usually shorter than the evening services and often include a nativity play, which is likely more exciting for your little one than a long sermon.
In their first year of life, your baby doesn’t yet fully understand what’s going on. Still, they will sense that this time is something very special for you. For you, the Christmas season will certainly be a bit different from what you’re used to. But no matter how you celebrate and spend this time together, the first Christmas with your little explorer is something very special—and hopefully many more wonderful holiday memories will follow. We wish you happy holidays and a reflective time!
