Baby's First Christmas

Starting Holiday Traditions

By Kim Huebner

baby's first Christmas in front of fireplace

My kids love when the Holiday season begins. For our family the starting point is October 1^st. October is (of course) devoted to Halloween, but on November 1^st we bust out our Thanksgiving decorations and then our month of turkey fun begins. Black Friday is really considered Red and Green Friday in our household as the fresh tree goes up and the Christmas preparations begin!

Christmas has really become the big kahuna of holidays for my kids and I think it's because we have so many traditions that fill up our December calendar!

Library Books: I am a big fan of the public library, so of course I want to pass this love on to my kiddos. Our library always displays books in the kid’s wing that coincide with the holiday of the month. The Christmas selection is immense! What better way to start out the month of December than reading 10+ Christmas themed children’s books? Added bonus: depending on your library there are usually free Christmas events like yoga with Santa Claus and puppet show performances!

baby's first Christmas on Santa's lap

Santa Picture: My mother-in-law has a collage of Santa pictures that spans from when her four kids, who are all close in age, were newborn to toddler to elementary school-ers. She hangs it up every holiday season and it has inspired me to create one of my own. Finding a quality Santa Claus for this notorious photo is no easy feat. I have two tips to offer that have worked for us.

1) The best Santa is usually found in a garden or home improvement store where they let you take your own photos

2) Head to see Santa as early as you can make it in December. This way he is less busy and your kids get ample time chatting (or screaming) on his lap.

Cookie Party: As I have mentioned in my Toddler Chef blog, my son Jonah wants to be a chef. Every year we make A TON of cookies. Luckily Christmas is the season of giving because we would never be able to eat them all ourselves. This year’s plan: Rainbow Rocky Road for our neighbors and Red Velvet Snowmen for our teachers and friends.

Holiday Shows and Events: There are always so many shows, events, festivals, etc. that feature different aspects of the holiday season. Whether it is a special Christmas light show, a parade or simply a holiday Museum exhibit, the trick is to find your favorite ones to go to as a family and attend them every year. For the last three years in Cincinnati we have found our favorites include: PNC Festival of Lights at the zoo, Holiday Junction at our museum, and Cincinnati Holiday Pops at the Cincinnati Music Hall.

activities to do with kids in the winter time

Gift Guidelines: As a child my mother didn’t have much money to spend on gifts for my two siblings and me. This was never an issue for me as a child. I think that's because my Mom was all about sharing the spirit of Christmas every year. I hope to share the same holiday spirit with my kiddos by maintaining a gifting guideline each year. The 4 Gift Christmas Rule: Something they Want, Something they Need, Something they Wear, and Something They Read.

Here is a great list of Needs for Baby this holiday season:

Hooded Bath Towels