Celebrating Your Grandbaby's First Holiday Season
Discover how to make your grandchild's first holiday season magical while supporting new parents. From thoughtful gift ideas to managing expectations, this guide helps you create meaningful celebrations that work for everyone.
Tips for Grandparents During Baby's First Christmas or Hanukkah
Are you excited about the upcoming holidays with your new grandbaby? Have you already started (or finished!) your shopping? Have you booked your flights? Started worrying about how to keep the baby away from the tree?
There is nothing quite like watching a new person experiencing the magic and wonder of our holiday traditions. The table overflowing with food, the lit candles on the menorah, the bulging stockings hanging from the mantle: each scene is better with a baby in it. We even read about a family who made a sleeping newborn the centerpiece on their Thanksgiving table!
As we all know, there’s a lot more to happy holiday gatherings than adding a baby to coo over. New grandparents have more to think about than what gifts to give. Whether you're planning to celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah (or both!), we’ve got tips to make your grandbaby's first holiday season joyful and stress-free for everyone.
Planning holiday celebrations with a new grandchild
One of the hardest parts of the holidays for many grandparents is the realization that they may not get to spend it with their grandbaby. It may just be a matter of distance or finances. It may be that the other grandparents get priority. It may be that parents want to celebrate with just their small new family. The key to avoiding disappointment is to talk to the parents early on. Share your hopes, find out what their vision is, and see how you can compromise if necessary.
Remember that parents often feel pressure to accommodate multiple family celebrations. Consider creative solutions such as:
Alternating years for major holidays
Celebrating on an alternate date
Choosing different holidays to spend with each side of the family
Planning video calls for opening gifts or lighting candles together
Whatever you do, don’t make the parents feel as if they are disappointing you. The juggling they have to do to keep all the grandparents happy is hard enough without adding guilt to the mixture.
Holiday visits and new babies
If you are lucky enough to spend a holiday with that precious new grandchild, keep in mind that holiday visits rarely unfold as imagined. That candlelit dinner with the family gathered around it may be accompanied by the screams of a colicky baby. Parents may be exhausted and snappy. YOU may be exhausted and snappy!
Creating special memories doesn't require elaborate plans. Focus on simple ways to mark the occasion, such as:
Take photos of baby with holiday decorations
Record video of family traditions
Write a letter to your grandchild about their first Christmas
Create a scrapbook page of the celebration
No matter what your grandbaby’s age you need to think about holiday safety. From batteries that can be swallowed to crawling babies underfoot in the kitchen, there are extra hazards around holiday visits. We can prevent a trip to the emergency room with a little preparation.
Keep in mind, whether they are a newborn or nearly a year old, your grandbaby is not likely to enjoy this holiday season as much as future ones. That doesn’t mean you can’t make the holiday special, however.
Gift ideas for your grandbaby’s first Christmas
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It really doesn’t matter if there is a gift wrapped and sitting under the tree. Your grandbaby won’t care or remember, which is why we have a section in our gift guide of alternative gift ideas for babies. If you are looking for gift ideas for your grandchild’s first Christmas, that’s a good place to start.
Another idea for your grandbaby’s first Christmas present is to start a gift tradition. Start a collection on their behalf, and add to it each Christmas. It makes gift buying easy and provides them with something special when they are grown.
Baby's First Christmas Outfit
It's hard to resist a baby in a set of “My 1st Christmas” pajamas. We couldn’t pick a favorite, so here is a wide variety of Christmas pajamas for babies.
Christmas Books for Babies
Buying a Christmas book each year is a lovely tradition to start with your grandchild. See our favorite Christmas books for babies.
Baby’s First Christmas Ornament
An ornament marking your grandbaby’s first Christmas is a lovely gift. Keep your eye out for a handmade one if you go to any local Christmas craft fairs, or order one from Etsy or Amazon. You can get one that says “Baby’s 1st Christmas”, or get one personalized with their name. Or just get one with the year, like this beautiful silver sleigh bell by Wallace. Choosing an ornament each year is a popular way to help your grandchild decorate their first tree when they are an adult!
Before you buy anything, though, talk to parents about what you plan to buy. Too many grandparents ignore parent requests about gifts, leading to conflict and resentment.
While it’s tempting to keep your attention focused on your grandbaby’s first Christmas, remember it’s also your adult child’s first Christmas as a parent. Don’t forget to make them feel special, too! See our list of the best gifts for new parents for ideas.
Let parents lead the celebration, and clear all gifts with them. Make sure you’ve read What Parents Want Grandparents to Know About Celebrating Holidays to make sure you can all enjoy your time together.
Gift ideas for your grandbaby’s first Hanukkah
There is something extra special about a baby’s first Hanukkah, a holiday that celebrates the miracle of a tiny vial of oil lasting for eight days. After all, a baby is another sort of miracle.
Although your grandbaby may be too small to fully appreciate the festivities, that doesn’t mean you can’t include him or her. Here are some fun ways to mark a grandchild’s first Hanukkah.
A Menorah for Baby
One special way to celebrate baby’s first Hanukkah is to buy a menorah now that you will give to them when they are older—perhaps as a bat or bar mitzvah gift. Make it even more meaningful by writing a letter telling them how glad you are that they joined the family, and what you hope the years to come will bring them. Share stories of your Hanukkah memories when you were growing up.
Of course, you may want to get a menorah that baby can enjoy now. This cute plush one has textures and sounds that babies love, and gets high marks from other parents and grandparents.
Your grandchild can enjoy the wooden menorah from Pottery Barn for much longer. The simple wooden candles are a safe way for the youngest children to take part in the festival of lights.
Hanukkah Books for Babies
There are a wide variety of Hanukkah books out there. We look for books with engaging illustrations and stories that hold up to repeated readings. Although there is a Hanukkah book featuring every popular children’s book character, we generally find the quality of these to be subpar. We recommend these books for baby’s first Hanukkah:
Hanukkah Baby will quickly be a favorite book. Part of the Indestructibles series, these pages are designed to hold up being chewed on, pulled at, and generally mishandled. Lightweight and flexible, they are perfect for the car or travel bag.
Baby’s First Hanukkah is a study board book with simple language and real-life photos of the special elements of Hanukkah. Created with small hands in mind, the pages are easy for babies to hold and turn. They’ll love the bright pictures as you introduce them to the symbolism of this special holiday.
Light the Menorah will captivate your grandbaby as the ritual of the candle lighting is explained. Each page has a tab to pull that activates a glowing light on another candle. It’s a fan favorite!
My First Chanukah is a sweet book by beloved children’s author Tomie dePaolo. The simple artwork and easy text make the story a wonderful bedtime read for a child’s first Chanukah.
Goodnight Bubbala is a lively parody heavily sprinkled with Yiddish that celebrates the love of Jewish family. It’s an utter delight to read aloud, and will be a family favorite for year. The pictures and words will captivate your grandbaby as you read.
Hanukkah outfits for babies
Hanukkah themed baby clothes seem to rely heavily on puns. The cute “I love you a latke” comes in sizes up to 18 months and comes with a matching headband or beanie.
These “This is how I roll” pajamas are adorable. Some reviewers mention that they run small, so you may want to size up.
These Hanukkah bibs are easy to clean and will protect that darling outfit! Parents love this style for the way it actually protects baby’s clothes and contains the mess of a new eater.
Celebrating holidays with grandchildren from a distance
If you can’t be with your grandchild for their first Christmas or Hanukkah, don’t despair. Ask parents if you can join in via video chat, or to send pictures after the holiday. Here are some more ideas for long-distance celebrations:
Read holiday stories virtually
Share photos of your holiday decorations
Mail a care package with holiday items
Record yourself singing holiday songs
Send an advent calendar or Hanukkah gifts
Share family holiday recipes
Create a holiday video message
What matters most during your grandbaby’s first holiday
Your grandchild's first holiday season is a special time, but remember that they won't recall the elaborate decorations or numerous gifts. What matters most is creating a warm, loving atmosphere and supporting their parents during this transformative time.
Focus on building positive relationships and creating traditions that can grow with your grandchild. Whether you're celebrating in person or from afar, your role in making the holidays special is valuable and important.
Enjoy this first holiday as grandparents, and don’t forget to make sure you get a photo of you with your grandchild–even if it’s just a screenshot of your video chat. Your grandbaby will treasure that photo when they are older.
For a complete guide to navigating holidays as a new grandparent, get A Grandparent’s Guide to Happy Holidays.