Baby's First Christmas

I am a self confessed lover of all things Christmas. To me, it really is the most wonderful time of the year. I am a true believer in the fact that days in December are sacred and should be as special as they can and that, as far as possible, the mundane boring bits we have to do in life should be absconded to other months.

This year, I face a new Christmas experience, Boo’s first Christmas. Now, given the fact that Christmas usually begins in our house with festive film viewing in October, you would think that I had been planning, arranging and organising the most wonderfully special and magnificent Christmas full of personalised wonderments for a good few weeks now…. But in actual fact that isn’t the case. Why? If I’m honest, I think I am slightly overwhelmed.

There is so much pressure on new parents to do everything they possibly can to make the first Christmas perfect, special and the most memorable occasion you have ever had together. Have you got everything ready? There is a plethora of what some may consider ‘must have items’ for baby’s first Christmas, and parents can end up spending a huge amount because of the pressure and competition of making their child’s first Christmas ‘the best’.

There are the personalised Christmas decorations such as baubles, present sacks, stockings, snow globes and letters to Father Christmas.  The ‘special’ items for the Grandparents and relatives like the hand or footprint that you know they will be thinking ‘where on earth are we going to put that?’ and the posed family Christmas cards that are 10 times the cost of normal ones.   Then there are the clothes; a Christmas bib…ruined at breakfast, Christmas pyjamas that they will still be wearing in March, Christmas jumpers and those ‘special’ Christmas outfits…covered in food and poo by lunchtime.  Lastly there are the presents like the personalised Christmas storybook that are 10 times more expensive than regular storybooks (Tip: call your daughter Matilda and buy her the Roald Dahl classic for £3.99)

At the end of the day, you know in your heart of hearts that whatever you choose they are most likely going to enjoy playing with the following on Christmas Day:

• The old favourite with the under-ones - wrapping paper
• The empty Christmas stocking with the unwanted orange still lodged in the bottom which they are slowly squeezing all of the juice out of
• The chocolate coins that they have managed to get their mitts on despite Daddy thinking he has put them ‘out of reach’ that they are now busy munching away…with the foil still on
• The empty cardboard box Granddad has discarded once he has devoured all the ‘Just Brazils’ in one sitting, before lunch, much to Grandma’s dismay
• The scraps of ribbon that Mummy is discreetly trying to squirrel away to reuse next year

Basically anything that you didn’t actually buy them!

But then there is that persistent thought… am I going to be an awful parent if I don’t?  Then the first purchase happens… then it snowballs.  Before you know it you are re-mortgaging the house just to feel like you are keeping up with all this baby’s first Christmas madness. And it’s everywhere; in shops, magazines, adverts as you mindlessly scroll through Facebook (Not on the High Street has A LOT to answer for…) and in other people’s posts on social media sites.  As much as you try and tell yourself that you really don’t need it you will, inevitably, end up with a considerable amount of first Christmas paraphernalia.

Those nagging thoughts that keep spinning round your head because you simply can’t get past how adorable your child will look in that Christmas pudding hat, and how people will like the very individual and perfectly crafted Christmas decoration hanging on your tree, that naturally no one else will have…but actually everyone will

We all give in. I have. I am guilty of many ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ purchases that I convinced myself in October we simply didn’t need. I blame the sleep deprivation, it has made me weak, but…. It’s going to be one hell of an awesome Christmas!

Happy First Christmas to all you amazing parents, and adorable little elves.