While Christmas has always been my favourite holiday of the year, it wasn’t until I had kids that I truly understood where the holiday spirit lives.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays – making lists, preparing food, planning trips or visits from guests – and of course, the shopping trips that leave us winded, cranky, and lighter in the pocket book! As parents, we try to make the holidays extra special for our little ones, but in reality they don’t require much to make them adore the holidays. And in the end, they are the ones giving us the greatest gift.
I love celebrating baby’s first Christmas! Being a mom of three, I’ve experienced this magical season three times over and while I’m sad that we won’t have that ‘first’ in our family anymore, I have the photos and the memories to look back on and reflect.
Putting up our Christmas tree begins the season for us. There’s that amazing moment as part of baby’s first Christmas when you plug in the lights and she looks up at the tree in wonderment. Decorating the house comes next, which includes outdoor lights too! Babies love to be involved in the fun, so take a moment and watch how they react to everything around them.
Here are a few tips to help make your first Christmas with baby magical:
1) If baby is crawling and pulling up, consider a baby gate around the tree to keep curious hands away. If you don’t like the look of a gated tree, try to curb their temptation to pull by keeping the bottom ¼ branches free from decorations. Always keep glass ornaments near the top!
2) Be aware of dangling table runners and garland around the house – babies will most definitely give them a tug, whether or not your best china is lying on top!
3) Start an ornament tradition! We have a Baby’s First Christmas ornament for each of our kids; each one different and special in its own way. We love pulling out those special ornaments every year.
4) Remember that babies are not at all concerned about what’s under the tree for them, beyond that crinkly fun wrapping paper and all those boxes to play in. Don’t stress over finding the perfect gift – after all, you’ll have their teen years to worry about that! Instead, focus on finding something fun for them to open, crinkly wrapping paper included!
5) With guests, parties, and travelling, baby’s schedule will likely fall out of whack and she will react accordingly. When she shows you that she’s overtired and cranky, take some time out and focus. I can’t tell you how I cherish those memories of quiet time in the dark, beside the Christmas tree with my babies!
This season, I wish you and yours one full of magical moments whether it’s your first with your babies or your one-of-many with your family.
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Good tips! I’m with you this is actually my baby girls second christmas- but the first that she will enjoy- our “firsts” are coming to an end too 🙁
I love your tips. Thanks. That is one very beautiful picture. You both look so beuatiful. 🙂
Thanks for the great tips! 🙂
Children make the holidays special! Beautiful picture!
we don’t know if we’ll have a (very fresh!) baby for Christmas this year or not – I’m due with our first on Christmas Eve! Thanks for the tips 🙂
I love Christmas filled with grandbabies! Family time is the best and its so fun to see the excitement on the kids faces ! Great picture Tenille!
This year we are keeping Christmas pretty low key. I am due with #3 on December 11 so we will have a newborn baby at Christmas. I am looking forward to having sweet baby snuggles this Christmas. I think the favorite part of the holidays for my boys (ages 3 in January, and 18 months) is just spending time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I love these ages, they have so much fun without any expectations.
Thank you for the affirmation that it is about the experience and traditions and not about all the gifts.
What a beautiful picture
I’m going to miss that too. I’ve done it 4 times, and it never gets old.
We have the Christmas pajama tradition – on Christmas Eve, the kids unwrap a gift (always pajamas) and get to wear the new christmas pjs to bed that night – they LOVE it!
I love ornaments too! My parents did this and I now have super memories of the years worth on my tree. We get our girls one special ornament each year.
I love the tips! Great picture! We do ornaments too 🙂
great tips! we also have a special ornament purchased for each childs first christmas! also love taking it out each year 😉
I so agree!! When I as in my early 20’s before I had kids I found Christmas to be not as exciting as when I was younger. Now with my two boys (my youngest first Christmas this year, my oldest 4th) I am so excited for Christmas again!! Kids really help bring out the fun and joy in it!!
This is our fourth “first Christmas” and I am so happy that our youngest (7months) is not crawling yet! It’s hard enough to keep them out of trouble every other season but with all the lovely Christmas decorations (such as the tree) it is hard to keep little ones from leaving a path of destruction!
Our baby isn’t here yet, but with Christmas coming this year I’ve already started looking into different ideas for traditions. It’s very true that they won’t remember what they got!
I agree… I can’t wait for my first with a baby! 🙂
For our son’s first Christmas we had the tree up on an end table where little hands couldn’t get at it (since we live in an apartment and a large, real tree wasn’t feasible).I let the grandparents worry about the gifts…he’s not going to remember it anyways!
Great tips! Beautiful picture 🙂
the tips are so right on and helpful; nice to review them again.
love the picture also
So true! I get to have another ‘first’ Christmas this year and it’s exciting!
Thankful that we won’t have a little toddler or older baby this year – next year on the other hand…… I’ll enjoy this while I can! 😉
Great tips thanks !
I also love Christmas and enjoy our Christmas traditions! I’ve never left my childhood when it comes to Christmas!
This is so true! I have always been of lover of the christmas season but last year we got to experience our first born’s very first christmas and it has definately made christmas that much more touching, fun and memorable!
thanks for the awesome tips and advice! We love christmas in our family and we always want to make sure the little ones are enjoying Christmas as much as the adults.
Great tips for the holidays, and omg what an adorable picture.
so good tips thanks to sharing it with us
Great tips! We do the ornaments as well! Beautiful baby!
I am a new mom expecting in March and love this page, all the tips and Ideas.
when our daughter was 2 we had a four foot tree we put on a high end table so she couldnt reach it. she would sit and just stare at the lights. I bought coloured lights that would move to music
I agree…I am so excited to celebrate this magical season with my gorgeous babes!
We had our first baby one month before Christmas and it was so much fun to have a little person around to celebrate with!
Love dressing them up in the christmas outfits and jammies! 🙂 take lots of photos.
I can’t wait for my baby’s first Christmas this year. It’s good to remember to slow down and enjoy it. Thanks. 🙂
So cute. There’s going to be a new baby in our lives this Christmas. My friend is almost due.
What a great idea about ornament tradition! I’m so sad we are late for this… though we never really celebrated any holidays since we had kids… maybe we can do all of this now and it will be the first one for them anyway. But still. so wish I’ve heard of it a few years ago…
We have our 4th little one’s first Christmas this year…can’t wait!!
I couldn’t agree more!
Kids make the holiday seasons brighter and a lot more interesting
True about the wrapping paper, and even the roll from when the paper is done!
Lovely post, Tenille! Some great tips to keep in mind for the future. I cannot WAIT to have a baby at Christmastime! Hopefully in the next year or two! 🙂
Great tips. We do ornaments as well. My daugher will be 2 1/2 this Christmas and while Baby’s First Christmas is special, I’m really looking forward to having fun with her as she starts to understand and participate in some of our traditions!
Nice picture. Babies are adorable.
I learned my lessons with my first son, who took a wrapping paper roll and beat the tree and all the ornaments, he was just over one years old at the time. i made some changes to “baby proof” christmas
Thanks for the great Christmas tips!
We’ve been collecting ornaments for our kids every year. It’s so wonderful to give them their ornaments and let them put them on the tree year after year!
Last year was our baby’s first Christmas. She was too young – this year she is walking and I am really excited about putting the tree up next weekend and seeing her reaction to the lights.
Great tips – I often think about how one day, my daughter won’t remember/appreciate how I sat up with her in the middle of the night so I should cherish those moments now. And we’re starting a new tradition this year – the Elf on the Shelf. I’m very excited!
Awesome tips!!!! This is my baby’s first Christmas so lots to think about!!
The magic of christmas for me is seeing my boys eyes light up when I tell them its time to start decorating and doing fun crafts. My 2 year old son just saw snow fall on Saturday and he said “Santa coming!” 🙂 It’s the little moments in our kids lives that means the most and those are the things I will cherish forever.
This is my first Christmas with my daughter, and I am so, so excited!
My due date is today so I will have a little one for this Christmas and I am very lucky to have my parents staying with us for Christmas to help out this year.
Great tips! I remember what it was like with my little ones, now two toddlers and the tree goes up next week…unsure how long it well last.
They certainly do change everything – traditions included. Love your picture too!
You are right… it’s so easy to make a baby happy because the most important thing to them is your company!
your completly right 🙂 traditions are a great thing!!!
Been a long time since my kids were little, but I remember all to well how I learned quickly to adapt to having babies in the house and had to do things differently to keep them safe during the holidays. Hope you and your family have a fabulous Christmas and everybody else here too!
my 2 kids are adults but we have a 4 year old grandson who makes christmas so much fun…we have a second grandchild due in june so will save the tips for next year! happy holidays to all!
Thank you for the tips. We are looking forward to spending Christmas with my family across the country, including my twin nieces age 2.
I still remember my first christmas after baby….christmas had to be perfect because i felt it meant so much more!
Great tips, I love the babys first ornament
Thank you for the tips, it’s like a magic: babies, Christmas tree, games, cooking, family visits.
The tips are great! Christmas is always magical.
when our daughter was little we only had a artificial 4 foot tree that we put up on a table so she couldnt reach it. but she loved looking at the lights
A person can never be too cautious with little ones. Great tips !
Awesome tips! You can never be too careful – especially around the holidays when life becomes hectic!
LOVE the photo by the way 🙂
I know what you mean. Before Christmas was blah but once I had kids it makes it more magical.
Cant wait to celebrate christmas with our 4 yr old and 6 month old =)
the gated Christmas tree is a great idea, my 18month old would have that figured out as fast as it takes me to put it up so I’ve come up with an alternative plan. We are having company here twice. Therefore, I will set up the tree for the first gathering and then carry it to the garage, where it can “chill” until the next gathering where it will make an appearance Christmas Eve, be present for Christmas morning and taken down Christmas night. Artificial trees are the greatest invention ever. Less stress, no mess, still Christmas.
I LOVE the baby gate idea! Our kiddos are older now but I could have used that little tidbit when they were younger. Too bad it wouldn’t work for kittens. We have a new little kitty and she is giving our tree heck!
Your baby girl is beautiful!
you are completely right
We also do the ornament tradition. Each of the kids picks one out every year
Another thing is that when a Mommy to be is so excited about her upcoming baby she will ask for gifts for the baby instead of her, I know because that’s how I am this year while expecting our first baby girl!
Great tips!
Christmas with babies and kids allows us as an adult to experience the magic through their eyes and feel like kids again ourselves!
when i had babies coming with me to parties and family get togethers i always tried to tell them ahead of time or as soon as i arrived that i’d need a place to sit quietly when they got tired or just overwheled. so i’d know exactly where the host was okay with me wandering off too. which was usually their bedroom or a guest room.
These are all great tips. We have 3 babies in our family celebrating their first Christmas this year, so all these ideas will come in handy:)
christmas is such fun with babies and young kids!
We had an early Christmas present. Lia was due on December 26 but she decided that she was ready to see the world on November 29th!
Agreed … babies make the holidays magical! 🙂 Great tips!
I decided not to worry about the treee. I gave the boys (6 and 21 months) ornaments that wouldn”t break and let them decorate away. Once the little one got batting them around the first day out of his system, he hasn’t bothered them since.
Great tips! Babies really do make the holidays magical!
Love all of these safety tips. The christmas tree can look so tempting to the little ones and not being too worried about everything looking perfect really makes a difference.
seeing all the new babies in my family is my favourite part of christmas!
great tips – babies and kids are part of what makes xmas so special
My 4 year old loved decorating the tree. My 3 year old enjoys re decorating it. Over and over. Grr. My 3 month old just loves the lights. Lol
What a lovely picture! Christmas is such a wonderful time 🙂
Great pict.
I couldn’t agree more. children (babies included) totally make the holiday magical> We get the children all a new ornament each christmas so that when they get older they will have their own collection to take with them and great memories associated with them. my kids light up whenever we talk about baby jesus and santa clause and the polar express… Just something about this time of year.
I already do the ornament tradition, my parents got me one for every year of my life!
This will be our 3rd ‘first’ christmas. Our 3rd child is 6 months. We love making Christmas about family.
Our baby’s first christmas was insane. We took him to too many places and didn’t plan well. We needed an article like this 3 years ago.
Children make Christmas. So nice with new babies around.
Having kids makes Christmas much more interesting…
Kids are to funny! love it
This is our 2nd Christmas. Last year she wasn’t moving around, but this year she is into everything so these tips are useful.
Great tips. Our oldest is 2.5 and we STILL have a half naked tree (because of course she’s taller and can reach higher!)
Great tips! about the special ornaments: I’m going to be making an ornament for my children every year. those clear globes at michaels are perfect. When they’re old enough to move out and have thier own tree, they will have a good collection of sentimental ornaments to hang. Love your blog!
Christmas is so much more fun and special when you have kids of your own!!! Thanks for the tips, as my daughter is 9 months old, my so is 4 so its been a while since we had to baby proof. Merry Christmas!!!
I completely agree with you! I didn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas until I had my children, they certainly do make it a magical time of year.
The picture is priceless. She is so pretty. Yes, having children make Christmas more meaningful.
What a cute baby!
She is so pretty what an adorable dress! little ones make the world go around 🙂
I can’t wait until I have my Princess and to be able to dress her up. My Christmas was very special because I would feel her kick but next year I will actually get to see her.
great tips 🙂
This was a wonderful read! With us expecting in Spring these are great tips for next year when we’ll have a little one scurrying around! So true about the taking time out while visiting folks as well! With our first daughter I learned the importance of that this year! Thanks so much for the post!
Great tips for babes and Christmas stuff! I love having babies/wee ones around at Christmas, they really do make the holidays special!
thanks for the great tips and what a great photo!
My kids make the holidays for sure. As for the tree, it has been kid proofed by not having any glass on it at all. There is nothing like a baby first realizing Christmas is magical!
Awesome tips. Thanks
I love the baby’s 1st Christmas ornaments. We just celebrated our fifth baby’s first Christmas, always exciting. 🙂
i totally agree with the baby gate idea around the tree. babies like grabbing things from christmas trees
Christmas does make the holidays oh such more fun. I found I’ve had to do a lot more baby proofing with a puppy then I did with the kids though.
Thanks for the comments. We’ve had to move all the ornaments and candy canes to the top-half of the tree since our 1 &3 year is so curious and axcited about them. Great photo!
i just started an ornament tradition this year too with my littles! we used the cinnamon applesauce one,but next year i think ill start doign hand prints or something 🙂
Awesome photo!
Cute picture! And the tips about decorating the tree are ones everyone needs to heed!