First Christmas with the baby: Tips for a magical and relaxed time

Anyone who welcomes a new citizen into their life is in for an exciting time: the first cry, the first word, the first trip and finally the first Christmas are all worth enjoying. Babies experience the festival of love with all their senses - they marvel at the colorful lights, perceive smells for the first time, love the rustling of the wrapping paper. And that makes this time particularly fascinating. For many parents, however, December is also associated with stress. From the tasty menu to the right gifts, there is a lot to organize - and all of that on top of the hectic everyday life. We have a few suggestions and tips ready to help you make the first Christmas with your baby a wonderful and relaxed experience:

Plan ahead: "Oh, there's still plenty of time!", many people think in the autumn - and put off preparing for Christmas. But experience shows that Advent is back sooner than you'd like. And suddenly stress breaks out again. Last-minute gifts or unplanned family get-togethers can quickly get on your nerves and have a negative effect on your mood. The child notices this too. Especially when it comes to the first Christmas with the baby, the motto is: early planning is key! It can be an advantage to distribute the tasks sensibly in advance and to agree on rituals.

Lower expectations: There is something that often reduces the joy surrounding the big celebration: too high expectations. Because many of us strive for perfectionism. Often, a wonderful scenario appears before our eyes - with a perfect dinner and a Christmas tree that outshines everything. But the reality is often different: sometimes the roast doesn't turn out crispy, the cat sweeps down the tree and the baby won't stop crying. But you know what? That's all completely okay! Because it's authentic and human. So say goodbye to overly idealistic ideas and instead enjoy the time with your loved ones.

Choose a comfortable outfit: On Christmas Eve, many people want to dress up in a particularly chic outfit - cocktail dresses, jewelry and an elaborate hairstyle are all popular. But if you're celebrating your first Christmas with your baby, you should go for comfort rather than extravagance. Because if the dress is too tight or the baby loves to play with the pearl necklace, this can quickly cause stress.

Take security measures: It's not just mom's decorations that are interesting to many babies, but also other things that appear in the house around Christmas time. But that can be dangerous. So take safety measures, such as: buying a tabletop Christmas tree instead of a large tree; avoiding candles or placing them out of reach of the child; avoiding long tablecloths; opting for minimalist decorations.

Reduce visits: A newborn baby has a magical attraction for many people. The result: everyone wants to examine it, hold it, and rock it back and forth. However, this can be exhausting for the baby - especially during the Christmas season, which in itself already has a lot of impressions for the child to process. So don't plan too many visitors and don't be afraid to cancel family members or friends.

Create a gift list: Many relatives and friends not only want to see the child, but also bring gifts. However, this often leads to the newborn being showered with gifts - and these are not always things that are actually needed. If you want to avoid this, send out a list of possible gifts in advance that are sensible and appropriate.

Cooking simple meals: Roast goose, carp, boiled beef or raclette are among the most popular dishes in Austria on Christmas Eve. But most of them involve a lot of effort. Our tip in terms of cuisine for the first Christmas with a baby is therefore: concentrate on simple dishes such as sausages with sauerkraut or a cold platter. Because honestly: the most important thing is who you are sitting at the table with and enjoying the evening, not what exactly you are eating. If you still don't want to miss out on a sumptuous meal, it's best to choose dishes that are easy to prepare.

Calculate rest periods: Newborns need a lot of sleep - all the time. It doesn't matter whether Santa Claus is ringing the bell or relatives are at the door. So plan enough rest times. Our CHICO hammocks and hammock chairs are a perfect companion for this - cozy oases of relaxation for the Christmas season and beyond.