 This
year will be our baby’s first Christmas, and we don’t
want to start going overboard with too many presents. Any suggestions
for what I might say to relatives and friends on this subject?
—A.
K., Las Vegas
 A
first Christmas without lavish gifts can be just as much fun for
you and your baby. And you may find that no matter what people buy,
your baby will spend more time playing with the box, paper and ribbon
than the gift itself.
Here are some ideas from Dr. Michael Meyeroff of Epicenter, the
parent-information organization based in Lindenhurst, Illinois.
Books, music and interactive toys
such as balls and blocks are wonderful, inexpensive gifts for a
baby. But don’t give them all at one time—space them
out over a period of months.
Home safety devices like
smoke detectors and window guards may seem unglamorous, but they
make a perfect gift for infants. Living in a safer home is more
beneficial to your baby than having a few more toys on the shelf.
Put together a scrapbook with photos, announcements,
newspaper clippings and memorabilia from a baby’s first year.
Annotated, dated photos can also start the process of creating a
family tree.
Hold an open house. Nurture
friendships and a sense of community with a get-to-know-you holiday
party for neighbors and their families. Over the years, your baby
will benefit from the human relationships forged over egg nog and
cookies.
Start a family tradition
of making a holiday contribution to one of the many toy drives or
other charities in your community. Your baby may not benefit directly,
but he or she will eventually reap the rewards of being part of
a family tradition that represents the true spirit of the season.
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Ellen Galinsky, M.S., Executive Editor of Work &
Family Life, is President of the Families and Work
Institute, a researcher on national and international
studies, and the author of over 40 books and reports
including the forthcoming Mind in the Making. |
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Susan Ginsberg, Ed.D., Editor & Publisher of Work
& Family Life, was Associate Dean at Bank Street
College. She is the author of Family Wisdom: The
2000 Most Important Things Ever Said about Parenting,
Children and Family Life (Columbia University Press). |
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