Joys of small family Christmas

We do a mixture but the dc love it when it's just the 4 of us. We can do whatever we want and watch what we like. It's just really chilled and nice to do things at your own pace.

We tend to be pretty sociable in the run-up to Christmas and spend New Year's with friends so it feels nice to have a break from socializing.

After a lifetime of running around trying to please parents and extended family at Christmas we came to dread the season. We would have to drive to several houses across town and spend Christmas day in other people's houses doing things the wanted. Then, when everyone else seemed to be hunkering down for a cosy night, we had to drive home in the cold and dark.

Now, it's just DH and I and Christmas is heaven. By mutual agreement we don't do presents with our friends and remaining adult family so December isn't dashing around trying to think of rubbish to buy. On Christmas morning we get u[ to a feast of a breakfast, take a picnic up onto the moors - turkey and stuffing sarnies, Christmas cake, satsumas, a flask with amaretto coffee. We have a lovely long walk with absolutely nobody about - just us the birds, deer and total peace.

Then home for a hot bath, light the fire, bung a lasagne in the oven, candles, twinkly fairy lights, a bottle of wine, sloe gin and chocolates snugged up on the sofa in front of a cracking film.

We’re just us three this Christmas (me, DH and our child) and it’s been like this for years (we have my mum every alternate year). I’ve one sibling abroad and another quite local who I’m pretty much NC with.

We love it - my son is already talking about our Christmas Day menu and what he wants for breakfast. He’s a teenager but there will still be a stocking and presents and all the magic.

I feel really lucky that we can have the kind of Christmas we all want and we don’t feel under any obligations to anyone. My mum will visit on Boxing Day and we host a big party on 28th December with about 30 people (which scratches my “hosting” itch). But the day itself is just us and we wouldn’t have it any other way - that said, if we knew anyone stuck we’d be happy to welcome them.

DH and I always spend Christmas just the two of us, plus the dog, and it’s honestly my favourite time of year. No rushing around, no travelling, no trying to please everyone, no conforming to other people’s idea of a “good time”.

We have a lie-in, take the dog for a good run on the beach and then spend the rest of the day doing whatever the hell we want. It’s absolutely perfect.

I read all the threads about big family celebrations where everyone seems to argue and be permanently stressed for weeks beforehand and wonder why people insist on putting themselves through it every single year.

I love them! We do a mixture of both really as we do have quite a big extended family and this year will be a larger one, but I got my first taste of a small Christmas with just our family in 2020 and I loved it so, so much. Last year we again just stayed in the 4 of us and saw the wider family Boxing Day instead. It’s just so much more relaxed, so calm. Kids can play with their toys and there’s no rush to stop them and get ready. We even had steak and chips instead of a roast 🤣 I’m a convert!

We chose the so called small family Christmas a while ago. My husband has a large family but we aren't close to them and my MIL never really cared about or had any interest in our son, so one day I just asked myself why I bothered with them at all and there was no good answer, so I stopped bothering. Never felt better and don't regret it. I don't think there is the right and the wrong way to celebrate Christmas. It's meant to be something you enjoy, so just do whatever you find enjoyable.

I absolutely hate big family get togethers.

The smaller the better in my book. Felt exactly the same as a child.

Our DC do mention that their favourite christmas was the Covid one where we were just the 4 of us. Back to christmas with grandparents since, and it does change the day. Can't be so relaxed.
However, we do try and go a bigger family get together one weekend day before Xmas and that's nice, and a bit more go with flow as we don't do a huge meal etc...

I like that it gives you the opportunity to keep things quite simple. We were all quite ill last December and scaled a lot of things down and enjoyed Christmas all the more for it.

Just to add, I've had my share of running around trying to please everyone, I hated it. I remember the first Christmas just the four of us, it was heaven!

There's only four of us at Christmas, now grandparents have passed away. It's been like this for a while. We just made our own little traditions. It's very relaxed! No pressure. Play games, watch TV, eat chocolate! We love it.