Tip of the Day - Babies don't know about Christmas
Categories: Babies, Pregnancy & birth, Tip of the Day
With my first pregnancy, the baby was due on 12th December. And during those nine months, I looked forward to how lovely it would be to spend a first Christmas with my newborn baby. Except it didn't really pan out like that - by 25th December I was still shuffling around, nine and a half months pregnant, wondering if this baby was ever going to turn up. She finally made an appearance on the 27th.
And that's the thing about babies - they're completely oblivious to the calendar that the rest of us live by. In fact, you can be pretty sure that children up to at least two are unaware that there's a festive season underway.
So don't tie yourself up in knots about buying them expensive presents - they really are only interested in the packaging, especially if it's nice scrunchy paper. They might like the twinkly lights on the tree, but that's about as far as it goes.
So if this is your baby's first Christmas, remember that you don't have to do much to make it a special time. At this age, it's all special. If you really want to mark the occasion, buy them a shiny balloon and stick a few quid in their savings account.
When my son was 18 months old, his big Christmas present was a new car seat. More practical than a teddy bear. And as it turned out, he was ill on Christmas Day, and enjoyed spending much of it propped up in his padded seat, like a royal lord. As children get older, they will become more aware of it all, and more vocal about how they want to celebrate. But for now, make it easy on yourself and keep it simple!
More handy hints here in our Tip of the Day section
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris R 11-22-2009 @ 9:15AM
The problem is that whilst babies under the age of three years have no concept of (commercial) Christmas, the shops and media do.
Hence there is a guilt factor built in to parents to buy baby a present, even if it does not understand.
However, the situation changes dramatically once the child becomes 5 years and over. Why should they not get a present?
Where the problem really becomes complex is when the childs Birthday falls either on Christmas Day itself or Boxing Day. Indeed anywhere in the Christmas Fortnight up to the 6th January.
It really is a naff-frame to be born. I know because my mother was born on Boxing Day, and whilst as children my sister and I thought it was great to have two parties in two days, for mum it couldn't really have been so much of a laugh; particularly when she was in her teens. Unfortunately for mum having two birthdays so close
together ment that invarilbly she got one present for the two events. The usual cry of " Mum, this is your Christmas AND Birthday present", must have started to wear thing by the time we were 10 & 7 respectively.
After my sister and I were over the age of 12, we came to a pact that mum would ALWAYS have two presents from each of us for Birthday and her Christmas. Financially it was difficult at times but we felt that if we saved up for it, or even bought it earlier in the year and hid it, then the cost was spread.
However, I do recall some children at school whos' Brithday's were in the fortnight time-frame and really had a miserable time of it compared to everyone else.
Christmas does matter to children of whatever age, but it does not have to be covered in paper or be terribly expensive for toddlers. Often I feel that the persons giving the present are doing so more out of guilt and media pressure as much as anythingelse. One thing I would say though is that opening a small savings account when they are first born and putting say £10 in when they are born, and then £5 on both Christmas and Birthday up to the age of five would give them a head-start and concept of savings.
My mother opened a Post Office Savings Account for me with 10 Shillings (yes I am that old) and because you could not withdraw money until you were seven years old, those people who gave me money for Birthday or Christmas had this paid in to the account.
By the time I was ten, I had over £50 saved (which in 1971 was a chunk of money), and I continued to save regularly, with may be the odd withdrawl for something I wanted, but it made me understand money.
30 Years on, I am now an accountant.
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