im worried im going to be the grinch who stole xmas 'cos...

[ThatVikRinA22]

im working an early shift on both xmas day and boxing day. i will have to get up at 5am, leave the house at 6am and wont get back in until 4.30.

dh is getting all giddy and buying food and for me its just going to be another day in a job im not terribly fond of....

dd is moaning about it cos i wont be there

i should have worked last year but i fell down stairs in december and was off until the end of jan.
but this year i have to work it. no question of me getting it off. and im and actually dreading it because i have never worked one before....i feel like the whole world is going to be having a great day while im dealing with the same old same old as any other day....

i cant snap out of it.

dh asked me not to spoil it and said we can still have a lovely xmas eve - only i will be anxious knowing i have to go to bed at 9pm to get up at 5am....i need sleeping tablets on a normal early shift so this one is going require a double dose....

i cant help it. i feel
and grinchy.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

How old are your dc? I would bring christmas forward 2 days or behind. You don'#t have to celebrate on the day. How shit

[XandaPanda]

You could always do Christmas day on Christmas eve instead , That way you would get to see your dd open her presents etc , This is what I have to do with my partner working through Christmas

[ThatVikRinA22]

im not just working xmas day and boxing day, im working the 4 days after that aswell - just a normal shift for me and i work 6 days.
i suggested doing xmas day on xmas eve but no one is keen on that and dh is saying we can just do it all when im home - but im going to feel under pressure to go to bed as im up early again on boxing day.

the kids are old enough to understand and there are some on my shift who have little ones and i wouldnt begrudge them of having christmas off,

my youngest is 15 but still she is quite sad that im not going to be there.

[Startail]

Just tell the Dc's Santa knows you are working and has arange for an elf to deliver your presents a day early or a day late.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

I would celebrate solstice instead of christmas then. I don't know where you are in the country but going down stone henge coming home opening prezzies and christmas dinner that evening. Would be a pretty cool alternate christmas. and I really want to see the druids

[ThatVikRinA22]

other end of the country unfortunately brandy and startail im working 6 days starting xmas day.
no one wants to do xmas on xmas eve here, i suggested it.

the kids are growing up - youngest is 15 but she is still sad that im not going to be there and though she is really trying not to make me feel worse she is so sad about it i am feeling guilty already.

hey ho. i know its life but i feel like xmas isnt happening for me. i would handle it i think if i had anything else, but we had no hols this year, there is nothing i can find to redeem the situation we find ourselves in. its just work work work.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

Ok last idea, let them have christmas on christmas day but buy extra presents without anyone knowing (for yourself to!) and have a lovely new years day with your favourite foods and suprise everyone with another sackful of prezzies.

[ThatVikRinA22]

see? im worse than the grinch.
best take my grinchy arse to bed.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

[ThatVikRinA22]

thats a nice idea brandy i am off for new years (its just the way my shift pattern falls) and i shouldnt whinge because i knew i was joining a service that operates 365 days a year 24 hours a day.
but living it feels different to knowing it.

[ThatVikRinA22]

no dont give up! i x posted thats all, im open to suggestions and i like that one for new years....

[InNeedOfBrandy]

I don't have any ideas left.

Choose a day NYD and make it as special as you can, it is only christmas.

[duchesse]

You could celebrate in line with the Julian calendar this year. It has major advantages including cheap (in the post Gregorian Christmas sale) food, decorations and presents, and it's still a special date!

[piprabbit]

Get them all up at 5am to open a special present each. Maybe a bite of christmassy breakfast together (something quick and easy but a wee bit different). Then get them to hold off opening main presents until you get home - when you all have a late Xmas lunch and present opening session.

I'm sure DH can keep everyone entertained and provide a late morning brunch to stop them expiring with hunger while they wait for you. He can also make sure the Xmas dinner is ready to hit the table the moment you walk through the door.

[duchesse]

Agree with Pip. We always have panettone and bucks fizz for breakfast on Christmas day. Not sure whether your job requires you to be scrupulously sober though...

[piprabbit]

(Plus if they all got up and 5am, they'll all be after an early night too!)

[piprabbit]

Mmm - panettone and bucks fizz sounds good, I might suggest that to my DH.

[duchesse]

There is something rather gloriously decadent about drinking alcohol first thing in the morning.

[piprabbit]

I might leave out the orange juice though, don't want to be too healthy.

[3bunnies]

My mother was a nurse, she went back to work when I was 12. From about the age of 15 I went with my father and volunteered at a soup kitchen for homeless people, then when I was older I joined my mother as an auxillary nurse. Obviously nothing replaces the magic of the very early years, but when I look back I am glad that I made Christmas just a bit happier for people who were alone. Would your dh and children consider doing something like that while you are at work?

[ThatVikRinA22]

unfortunately i do have to be scrupulously sober....so no bucks fizz for me but i like the idea of a special brekky (if i can face food at that time - i normally take my breakfast to work with me as im not terribly good at eating at 5am....but am willing to try!

DH had said about having xmas dinner when i got home and opening the presents then but DD wasnt keen on that idea....she may be overruled though!

3bunnies thats a lovely idea but i doubt DH will want to do it - he gets very little time off and works nights permanently, he only had xmas day off and is back to work boxing day night, i think he will want to stay at home and i know wild horses wouldnt drag DD out of the house on xmas day...

[DewDr0p]

I worked Christmas Day many years ago. Admittedly pre-children but it was a lot better than I expected. Everyone was quite festive (but sober!) at work. I got home at about 4.30pm and we had a late Christmas dinner then, it was different to normal but still lovely.

You might not want to move Christmas Day but I would definitely think about doing something special on Christmas Eve or another day. Perhaps have some pressies early on Christmas Eve and some later on Christmas Day when you get home?

Hope the reality turns out to be better than you fear - life is often like that imho.

[WhispersOfWickedness]

Am I right in thinking that you are a midwife? May have completely got the wrong end of the stick, please correct me if you are not!
Anyway, I always thought that if one did have to work on Christmas Day, that would be one of the nicer jobs, all those Christmassy babies

[ThatVikRinA22]

unfortunately not a midwife whispers am in police so its going to be dealing with domestics and people dying, (that tends to be what happens on xmas days for some reason) not quite so festive....(im still sounding very grinchy at this point i realise)

[WhispersOfWickedness]

Oh, goodness, you have my full sympathy, that must be pretty grim
I guess you just have to make the best of it, take in some Christmassy food for you and colleagues, get into the festive spirit when you can