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It’s the most wonderful time of the year unless of course, you’re a stressed parent wondering how to survive your baby’s first Christmas!
The predictable routine goes out the window, replaced by extra trips to the supermarket, catch-ups with friends (who want baby cuddles!) and well-meaning family members all wanting their special Christmas moment with your bundle of joy.
Add to that the oh-so-adorable Christmas outfits we love to dress our babies in, that smell and feel different for your little one, and it can all add up to a nightmare before Christmas even gets here…
Thankfully, we have called in the experts to share their tips for surviving your baby’s first Christmas…
How Can Parenting Tips Help New Dads Survive Baby’s First Christmas?
New dads can feel overwhelmed during their baby’s first Christmas, but with the right parenting tips for new dads, they can survive and even enjoy the holiday season. From setting realistic expectations to finding time for self-care, these tips can help new fathers navigate the challenges and cherish the special moments.
Tips For Surviving Baby’s First Christmas
Unboxing Prior To Wrapping
By Naomi Dorland – Founder and owner of Twinfo
A special tip for those to make the day less stressful, particularly with those who have twins and triplets is to do an unboxing prior to wrapping. When you have to unbox two or three of the same present, it can be quite time consuming, and the pressure is on to get them all unboxed and powered up quickly. This means your twins or triplets can play with the toy immediately. And you don’t have one baby crying while the other is happily playing with their new toy!
By this, I mean unbox the “toy”, remove all the fiddly little plastic ties and screws that the toy is attached to in the box. If it requires batteries, put (fully charged!) batteries in the toy.
Then you don’t need to leave the family on Christmas Day to run to the shed to get the Phillips head screwdriver to get the toy out of the box, or put the batteries in, only to find you need a Stanley knife to cut the cable ties that attach the toy to the box! Once you return from your second trip to the shed to find the Stanley knife you suddenly realise that it doesn’t take AAA batteries after all, instead it takes those rectangular batteries… that you don’t have!
So unbox, get organised, re-box and then wrap!
Make It Memorable
By Hyunho Kim – Healthy Life
The baby’s first Christmas is a big deal for both baby and parents. You want it to be something that your baby will remember for years to come, which means you have to make sure everything is baby-friendly. Here’s how you can make baby’s first Christmas as special as possible:
Remember that the first Christmas is a big deal for both parents and baby.
Baby might not fully comprehend everything that’s going on, but make sure your baby is aware of the happiness in the room. Talk about what’s happening and why your baby is getting all these presents.
Make sure to have enough space in your home for all of the decorations.
If your baby is crawling, your baby will want to explore all the new things. Be prepared for your baby to get into everything.
Include traditional elements, such as a tree, a nativity scene, and lights.
These are all part of the Christmas tradition and baby will love looking at them.
Create a list of family traditions that you want to carry on with your little one.
Christmas is about family, so make sure to spend time with baby and all of your relatives.
Find out what type of food will be served at the dinner table so you can create something similar for your baby’s first Christmas meal.
You want your baby’s first experience to be as close as possible, but your baby might need a little more soft food and time to adjust before eating regular food.
Pick out gifts from our registry or shop around online to find toys appropriate for babies.
Your baby will be so overwhelmed by all the presents your baby is bound to have a blast playing with them!
Create Christmas Keepsakes
By Sally Gibson – Founder and owner of Someone Sent You A Greeting
Christmas decorations or keepsakes are simple to make and perfect for making an ornament you can remember forever. A great one is using your 1 year olds handprint and turning it into a Christmas keepsake.
- All you have to do is mix up a bowl of salt dough (flour, salt, and water in a bowl. Then knead them together).
- Then press your child’s handprint into your dough and cut out the print with a butter knife.
- Cut out a small hole at the top so you can hang it from your tree and then place it on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 3 hours at 200 degrees.
- Once it’s cooled you’re ready to paint a Santa or any decorations you like.
Another great keepsake is making a snow globe or Christmas bauble from your baby’s ultrasound. You just place your ultrasound inside the bulb with some ground up styrofoam balls for the snow and any extra bits you want then tie it to your tree. A lovely decoration to celebrate and remember your child on their first Christmas.
You can also make a really simple holiday card by taking a few photos of your child in front of or with something Christmas related. Upload your chosen photo to a website that lets you make your own cards and you can send it out to friends and family.
Christmas traditions are great fun so why not start one early? Your 1-year-old may not remember it or be able to properly take part yet but you can start a tradition for or with them that will carry on as they grow. Something like wearing matching Christmas pyjamas or jumpers, visiting Santa, opening your advent calendars etc.
A less exciting but important thing you can do to help make Christmas easier is to sort through and throw out or put in storage all the baby items you no longer need. You could also give them to a charity as a nice Christmas gesture. But it will help you to have a less cluttered first Christmas and be prepared for all the extra presents baby is about to receive.
Safety First For The Presents
By Mariyam, Early Childhood Development Expert
For safety’s sake, choose toys that are large enough not to pose a choking hazard. Some examples include:
- Soft toys such as plush animals and cloth books (make sure buttons and other embellishments are firmly in place and there are no small parts that could be detached and swallowed)
- Rattles (to help baby’s hearing and attention; again, make sure there are no small pieces that could be chewed off and swallowed)
- Mirrors (to help stimulate baby’s vision)
- Balls (to help with gripping and tracking skills)
- Push-pull toys (help with walking and other gross motor development)
Other items you might consider are:
- Clothing, especially stretchy outfits that are easy to slip over the baby’s head
- High chairs and other seating equipment for feeding
- Strollers and car seats
- Bedding, such as a crib mattress, sheets, blankets, and pillows.
Your gift should be visually appealing. Babies enjoy cute things so make sure it looks like it is the perfect gift.
Relax More, Care Less
By Jennifer Weedon Palazzo – Founder of MomCaveTV
Baby’s first Christmas is often a stressful one. Looking back, I wish I would have relaxed more and cared less about what people thought about how we were dressed, what gift I had time to get and how pretty the wrapping was, how good the food was, or if it was rude that the baby cried or I excused myself early because I was tired. None of that mattered and people are much more understanding, especially if they are parents themselves. Enjoy your baby’s first Christmas. It’s the only first Christmas they’ll have.
Also, baby will never know or remember what gifts Santa brought. So don’t stress out over the perfect first Christmas gift. No matter what you buy, you baby will probably enjoy the box more than the gift!
Tips For Surviving Baby’s First Christmas – The Conclusion
If you have been looking for tips for surviving your baby’s first Christmas, now you know what to do! Calm down, take a deep breath, and just focus on the happiness of your baby.
Much like every other day, Christmas Day is a day to put your baby first.
What tips for surviving a baby’s first Christmas would you add? Let us know in the comments!
Is your baby having trouble sleeping? Check out the solutions we have right here!
