By Amanda Drake, December 2024.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of year, and what better way to start traditions with your little one for many years to come and to look back at the most magical memories that you will share with your child? Here at Amber Family, over the Christmas period, we feel it is so important to make special festive memories as it is usually the child’s first Christmas, and we want them and their parents to treasure these memories forever.

It is one of the most heartwarming and important milestones for families, and at Amber Family, our team feels privileged to share these times with our resident parents. The baby may not remember their first Christmas. Still, they can certainly look back at the memories their parents made with them, from the keepsakes created whilst living at Amber Family to the photographs we take to document this special time.

We love to help parents make crafty gifts, baubles, or Christmas ornaments with their baby’s hands and footprints. There’s something extra special about preserving baby’s prints in salt dough or paint to remember how tiny they were on their first Christmas. These are crafts that parents can revisit each year, documenting their child’s development.

Lots of pictures are taken during December so that parents can include these magical moments in the child’s memory book, which travels with the child after the family leaves Amber Family. These will include festive days out, activities, photo shoots, Amber Family’s Christmas party, and even a visit to Santa.

Baby’s eyes are certain to light up as they look towards the twinkling Christmas trees that sparkle both in the house and in our town centre. We go on festive walks to enjoy the Christmas lights, which have so many new and exciting sounds, sights, and smells for them to discover. There’s also nothing better than cuddling up in the evening at Amber Family, making bedtime magical by reading special festive stories. These special first Christmas memories that are made during December not only create special times to look back on but also help promote and encourage the baby’s development.

The staff team at Amber Family understands how difficult this time of year can be for our resident families who may be placed away from their own family or support network. However, we do our utmost to make all resident parents feel at home and spread the festive cheer as much as we can. We really hope our parents enjoy these precious, magical moments with their little one at such a special time of year, as memories created over the next month will last a lifetime.