The holiday season should be about the joy of friendship, family, and spreading light in the world. All year, we look forward to decorating the Christmas tree with ornaments and twinkly lights, sharing Christmas cards with our loved ones, eating Christmas cookies, and opening gifts.
Sometimes, though, it can be a bit harder than usual to celebrate. If your toddler, newborn, or infant is sick, you might not be in a very festive mood, even if it’s their first Christmas. Nevertheless, the little one in your life deserves a joyous holiday season despite the challenges they’re facing. If you’re looking for Christmas gifts that will make young children glow with happiness, read on for some great ideas.
Hang a personalized Christmas stocking.
The exciting part about bringing a newborn home for the first time is that you’re now a family. Even if you have older kids, this new infant makes your family bigger and brighter, and it’s exciting to celebrate that by adding a stocking to the hearth with your little one’s name on it.
You can have your older children help you fill the stocking with all kinds of fun little treats and keepsakes for your toddler or infant. In that way, all your kids will be part of celebrating a new family member joining in the Christmas spirit. After all, Christmas is about having all the family members around the Christmas tree, spending time together. You can get this jump-started beforehand by making them a part of your Christmas decorations.
Get your toddler interactive books.
Reading to your children is a crucial part of great parenting, no matter how many years of age your kids are. Reading together provides an opportunity to bond with your kids and, especially at young ages, encourages language development. For older children, a culture of reading in the house can encourage them to be lifelong learners.
If your pediatrician or audiologist identified hearing loss at your infant’s pediatric hearing test, you may think that reading is irrelevant for a child without a normal hearing. This isn’t true. Interactive toddler books with flaps, textural elements, and bright colors will still engage your kids and develop your perception of the world. Also, by holding your toddler on your lap and reading into their ear canal, they may be able to hear you a bit better. In fact, if you have a child with hearing loss who uses a hearing aid or has a cochlear implant, there are some great books about hearing loss out there that can help your kiddo understand what’s happening with them, regardless of your child’s age.
Make your kiddo a custom ornament.
Regardless of hearing loss or other pediatric illnesses your child may be facing, everyone loves decorating the Christmas tree together. Christmas ornaments carry memories with them—your little one’s first Christmas, the glass ornament you got your beloved on your first Christmas together as newlyweds, maybe a star from the top of your family tree back home. One way to bring your child into the Christmas decorations is to get a personalized Christmas ornament for them to hang on the tree next to all the other memory ornaments you’ll be hanging.
Personalized Christmas ornaments can include a family catch-phrase, your child’s name, or a family photo. You can also add snowflakes or anything else that brings the holiday spirit to mind. A new photo ornament each year can be a beautiful way to show how the family grows and changes as time goes on.
Get some eco-friendly toys.
Lots of little kids like to build with blocks. It’s more than just a hobby; it helps them develop motor skills. Kids with hearing loss may be more into building blocks if loud and raucous situations make them overwhelmed. That being said, if you don’t want a ton of plastic in your home, just opt for eco-friendly building blocks. Regardless of the type of hearing loss, you’re dealing with, let your child’s ability to zone out and focus on building amazing structures they can be proud of and enjoy.
These are just a few safe options for gifts. As your child grows, and their personality develops more, you’ll be able to get more personalized gifts.
