Baby’s first Christmas: how to keep the holidays calm (and fun)

It’s Christmas Day. The turkey is in the oven, a dozen relatives are in the living room, and the baby has been passed around half of them before anyone has pulled a single cracker. Your aunt asks if they’re cold, your uncle asks if they’re too warm. The baby just wants a nap. 😅

If your first holidays with a baby leave you feeling excited and a little anxious at the same time, that’s completely understandable. You want everyone to enjoy your little one, and your little one to stay calm. Both can happen.

There’s no “right” way to do this. Some families visit three houses in two days, others stay home in pyjamas. Both are fine.

The short answer: Baby's first holidays go more smoothly when you protect their routine, ask guests to wash their hands first and plan a safe sleep space such as a travel cot. Keep decorations, candles and button batteries out of reach, and don't give honey before 1 year.

How do you keep the baby’s rhythm with guests around?

The Lullaby Trust (the UK charity for safer baby sleep) points out that festive changes to normal routines are exactly why sleep deserves extra attention.

• Naps matter, but they can flex: if you can, plan visits around them. If not, no big deal: one messy day is easy to catch up on.
• A quiet room: ask your hosts for a room where you can feed and settle the baby without an audience.
• Familiar things: the same sleeping bag, the same lullaby, the same routine. They say “all is well”, even in a strange house.

How do you say no to “pass the baby” and to kisses?

Winter is virus season. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) notes that flu, RSV (a common winter respiratory virus) and COVID-19 spread easily over the holidays, and recommends frequent hand washing. Asking for it is caring, not rude.

• Hands first: “Wash your hands and they’re all yours” sounds much warmer than “don’t touch”.
• Kisses on the toes: if someone insists on a kiss, offer the baby’s feet instead of their face.
• Sniffles mean distance: the coughing uncle can adore the baby from across the room.

If grandparents feel hurt, our guide on setting boundaries with grandparents, lovingly can help.

How do you travel to see family?

By car, the baby rides buckled into their car seat. The bulky winter coat stays out of the car seat, though, because it leaves slack under the harness. We explain how to keep them warm without the risk in our guide to winter coats and car seats.

• Take off hats and extra layers: the NHS (the UK’s National Health Service) advises doing this as soon as you get into the car or indoors, even if it wakes the baby.
• The car seat is for the journey: according to the NHS, it’s fine for your baby to fall asleep in the car seat while you travel, but take them out as soon as you arrive.

And if you decide not to travel at all this year, that’s a perfectly valid choice too. Family can come to you, or join by video call.

Where will the baby sleep in someone else’s home?

Safe sleep rules don’t take a holiday. The Lullaby Trust reminds families that they apply at home and away, at night and for daytime naps. If you’re staying with relatives, a travel cot with a rigid frame and base is a safe place to sleep.

• On their back, feet to foot: feet at the bottom end of the cot, as the NHS recommends.
• A clear cot: a firm, flat mattress, with no pillows, duvets, bumpers or soft toys.
• Not by the radiator: the NHS advises that babies shouldn’t sleep next to a radiator, heater or fire, and that the room should be around 16–20°C.
• Not on the sofa: don’t fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or in an armchair.

What should you check for safety in a festive home?

RoSPA (the UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) notes something few people know: Christmas novelties and decorations aren’t toys, and they don’t have to meet toy safety rules. So keep them high up and out of reach of little hands.

• Decorations and small parts: glass baubles, tiny figures and the little toys from crackers are very tempting for a small mouth.
• Candles: never leave a burning candle unattended, and keep decorations and cards away from fires and heat sources (RoSPA).
• Button batteries: the AAP warns that if swallowed, they can cause serious, sometimes life-threatening injuries. They hide in light-up garlands, flameless candles, musical cards, toys and key fobs. Check compartments are screwed shut, or tape them. Ask grandparents to keep spare hearing aid batteries out of reach. If you think your baby may have swallowed a battery, get medical help straight away.
• Wrapping and leftovers: the AAP suggests clearing away wrapping paper, ribbons, leftover food and half-finished drinks straight after a party.
• Honey can wait: the NHS is clear: don’t give honey to a baby under 1 year old. Occasionally, honey contains bacteria that can lead to infant botulism, a very serious illness. However much someone insists on “just a tiny lick”.

What should you give the baby?

Your baby will probably love the box and the wrapping paper most. 😅 If relatives ask what to buy, we have newborn gift ideas by budget. RoSPA and the AAP agree: choose gifts for the right age group. The label also tells you about small parts that could be a choking hazard.

And you? Energy and guilt-free holidays

The holidays with a baby aren’t a competition. You don’t have to cook everything, visit everyone or look fresh in every photo. You can leave early, skip a visit and accept help.

Pick one or two events you really want and let the rest go. Rest when the baby sleeps, even if the guests are still at the table.

For dads

You’re the holiday’s best bouncer. Be the one who says “hands first”, guards the quiet room while the baby sleeps and keeps an eye on candles and fairy lights. That way Mum gets a hot meal, a rare festive luxury.

📖 Read next: Grandparents: how to set boundaries with love · Winter Coat in the Car Seat: Staying Warm and Buckled Safely

In short

The first holidays with a baby don’t need to be perfect, just calm. Keep the rhythm where you can, wash those hands, make sleep safe, put decorations up high and save the honey for after the first birthday. This is your first holiday together, and you’re already doing better than you think. 💛

Sources: AAP / HealthyChildren.org – 4 Ways to Keep Kids Healthy & Safe During the Winter Holidays; AAP / HealthyChildren.org – Small Battery Safety at Home: A Winter Holiday Walkthrough; NHS – Reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS); NHS – Foods to avoid giving babies and young children; RoSPA – Christmas safety; Cornwall Council & The Lullaby Trust – Safe sleep for babies this Christmas.