am i being unreasonable to change xmas?

[NordicPrincess]

This post is in the christmas section but im hoping will get more response here, so here goes:

im thinking of trying to vary our christmas "routine" (wrong word). Usually I bath children, we leave mince pie and carot out for the reindeer, I read them a bedtime story and then put them away. Then I get out the pressies wrap them, arrange them around the tree. Unwrap them, rewrap them get excited...

christmas day i wake up early-cant sleep. take pressies downstairs and arrange them under the tree, put xmas lights on take pictures and have a drink enjoying the peace before children are up.

Here is what I am considering varying. Children wake up look at their stockings, then come down stairs and would start opening pressie. This year I am thinking of having breakfast before the pressie opening so they at least eat soemthing before the choc coin onslaught and sugar high with no real food inside. Also the later they eat breakfast the less hungry they are for christmas dinner. I am also thinking of letting them open some pressie and then some more after christmas dinner usually at 2pm. that would break up the day as sometimes they open everyhting in such as rush they just jump from gift to gift. Then im hoping for a walk after dinner and board games and maybe a film before bed, while they play about with pressies.

What do you think? am i being unkind making them wait a bit by longing out the pressie giving?

How do you do it in yor house?

Any suggestions most welcome, thannk you :)

[GiddyPants]

we do breakfast before pressies but ds is 2 and not really cottoned onto the concept yet.

[GrimmaTheNome]

Usually one pre-xmas present boxing day night - new PJs!

Stocking straight away, pressies after breakfast with everyone in th same room.
DD hands them round.

If you've got loads, having some after lunch is a good idea.

[earwicga]

Well, what you propose sound like what I grew up with. I hated it.

What I do with my kids is let them eat as much chocolate as they like all day. They open all their presents asap. Dinner is when we feel like it. Totally relaxing no structured day. I love it and we all enjoy Christmas day :)

Presents from family are usually done on boxing day when we go to my mum's and that is a stressful visit.

[earwicga]

But YANBU - everyone does Christmas differently.

[NordicPrincess]

im not sure if i would have been able to restrain myself as a child if i was made to wait for the pressies al day...

Maybe i could produce half in the morning and then bring the rest down after dinner so they arent expecting it?

[DarciesmumandTTC2]

We have brekkie, cuppa T and wash our faces & brush our teeth before opening pressies.

Did that when I was a child and have carried it on an DH agrees too.

Everyone has their own way.

[woopsidaisy]

I agree with earwicga.While they are small just let them go for it.As teenagers you will probably be getting them up for lunch! Let them eat what and when they like...it is all about them really.
But your day sounds lovely and full of family love,so I guess they will love that too.

[RiverOfSleep]

The advantage of opening presents all in one go means the day is less about the presents and gives
you chance to do other things too.

[thumbwheel]

As a small child, opening presents is the main focus - so it's mean to keep them waiting. We used to always get a Christmas selection in our stocking anyway, so that woudl be eaten by about 7am (usually woke up by 5) while we read our annuals; then breakfast would be around 9ish or whenever parents got up and I can't really remember whether breakfast was before or after presents. We weren't allowed to open main presents until parents were up, that much I do remember.

As we got older, Mum used to make us wait until after "lunch" to open our presents, so that meant 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

[sims2fan]

At my house our stockings and everything were downstairs in the living room. Once the presents had been laid out, the living room door was locked (by Father Christmas, naturally!) and when we got up in the morning it was still locked. We would keep checking to see if 'the magic that Father Christmas had used had worn off yet' but in between doing that our mum managed to get us to eat breakfast and get dressed. Finally, the magic would wear off and when we next checked the door would magically open! (I never once caught my dad with the key!!) Then we had the magic of entering the dark living room, with the curtains still closed, and seeing the shapes of the presents around the fireplace. Then, my brother and I would excitedly explore our gifts from Father Christmas. They weren't wrapped, but were in stockings, with a few slightly bigger items nearby. We played with them all morning, had Christmas dinner, then opened the presents we had received from relatives. After that if one of us had a new bike, dolls pram, etc, we would go to the local park, or would play a new board game together or something. Then we would have a bit of a buffet style tea, and when we were very little it was pretty much bedtime after that. Personally, I loved it as a child that after Father Christmas's presents I still had other presents to look forward to opening after dinner. Plus, the magic of finally being able to open the door after waiting for 'Father Christmas's Magic Key' to wear off was brilliant!

[AMumInScotland]

Up to you how you do it - and you'll be able to tell how much everyone enjoyed it pretty quickly!

When I was a child, we did stockings (in room, whenever we woke up), followed by waking parents (no earlier than 7am), breakfast, then main presents. Then more presents later when we went to grandparents for dinner.

I suspect you'd find it hard to have all the presents under the tree but limit it to only some of them on the first go, as children wont understand why they are getting some but not others.

But there isn't any one right way to do it, just what fits in best with your ways.

[DarciesmumandTTC2]

We have stockings on bed, with satsumas and small choccie bar in. but then its brekkie and clean up before pressie opening in the morning.

Open all the ones at home in the morning, then after dinner and clear up we do the rounds where theres more pressie opening.

But thats what suits us.

[earwicga]

I should say that I didn't hate all of xmas as a child. It was the being told no and waiting for presents. The forbidden fruit of wrapped presents was always more interesting than what I already had.

SGM - I get up at the same time as my kids as well. It used to be stupid o'clock but last year I was up before them!

I put Santa's sacks in the living room and put most of their presents in them anyways.

[BudaisintheZONE]

What about putting mini boxes of cereal in the stockings and they can eat them for 'breakfast' if you are worried about the sugar high? A few vitamins in there anyway so that may make you feel better!

I am of the opinion that there are 2 days a year where you can have chocolate for breakfast and that is Xmas day and Easter Sunday!

[Faaamily]

pmsl

[DarciesmumandTTC2]

I don't get up before 7:30 either, and generally DD sleeps till then anyway

[NordicPrincess]

I just remember last year, the excitement meant they were knackered by dinner time as they had ripped open the pressies, not really played with anything and then refused to eat cos they were so tired from the excitement. it just all got too much you know?

I think i definatly will make them eat breakfast before opening the pressie, they can bring the stockings down while i cook scrambled eggs and smoked salmon (love love love smoked salmon!). Im still undecided about opening some pressies after dinner but if i do then i will definatly keep some back upstairs so i dont antagonise the children!

I love hearing your xmas stories! gets me so excited!

I should get a job present wrapping..or not id be unbearable!

[DarciesmumandTTC2]

Nordic - DD generally has alot of pressies - we have a large family, so we generally let DD open her presents when shes ready so not to over excite her and to just let her do as she pleases (within reason tho) lol.

[NordicPrincess]

when does she decide to open them? if you had my children they are like a swarm of locusts! in the nicest possible way! love you Olivier and Saffron!

[DarciesmumandTTC2]

shes start in the morning like made rush lol, but slows down and sometimes ends up saving some till boxing day!

[Tinuviel]

We have always opened presents after breakfast and my children have always been fine with it!! BUT we do have small Christmas stockings on beds and open them in our bed first thing. They get a book, a Chocolate Santa, a small toy, a satsuma and some sweets, (oh, and a pair of socks!) in there.

A few years ago we started going to the morning service at church as well, so we do stockings; dressed; breakfast; grandparents come and give presents; church; main presents round the tree; lunch. Works fine for us but each to their own. We still have plenty of time for other things after that.

They have to wait till Boxing Day for presents from 3 SILs as we all meet up at PILs (and always have done).

We spent Christmas at my brother's when DD was 3 weeks old (DS1 4 years; DS2 21 months) and they do presents first. It was hell, as my kids were starving by the time we had breakfast.

So your plan sounds perfectly reasonable to me!

[ElbowFan]

From when my DCs were tiny (grown up now) we have had the grand opening of stockings on Mum/Dad bed, followed by wash, dress, breakfast, open presents (which have appeared under the tree overnight - as they got older that bit of magic had to fade and we just put them under the tree as they are wrapped.)Present opening can take a while as we take it in turns so everyone sees what everyone else has been given. Even as small children this was good as it gave them a chance to play with something, even briefly, before opening another and saved it being a frenzy of paper ripping. Some gifts are designated 'tree presents' and you have one after lunch, one after tea, one after Boxing day lunch - it depends how many there are and it does spread the fun over a longer period (These are usually just little gifts £1-3)
It worked for us when the DCs were growing up and now they do us stockings so we all have one to open!!

[emmie31]

We do it the same as my mum did, get up early, son open stocking present in our bed while we drink cup of tea and ooh and ahh at how brilliant father christmas is, then breakfast then tree presents throughout day saving 1 for boxing day... have got excitment butterflies just thinking about it I loooooooooooooooove christmas