Anyone else feeling uninspired?

[mamaduckbone]

I just can’t get into Christmas this year at all.

I’m really busy at work, neither of the dcs are really asking for anything and I’m feeling a bit sad that I now have a teenager and a nearly 10-year-old so some of the magic has well and truly gone.

I love Christmas usually but just can’t muster up any enthusiasm
Anyone else suffering with bigger kids and a lack of inspiration?

Yep.
No more cuddling up watching polar express.
No Santa or norad.
No plays.
Bah.

You need to change the fun stuff. deliberately find things that teens and pre-teens like.

we will be lighting the fire and eating oven baked Camembert with tacos on Christmas Eve with teens, and play some board game, probably Settlers of Catan. (or maybe Poker)

Christmas morning has a new shape, no earlies for the teens, instead coffee/hot choc and pancakes at about 11, downstairs with stockings.

We now do presents later in the day.

This year we are off to my brothers, so they will have to get up, so we will have slightly different breakfast and stockings.

Lunch can be later (when small it had to be at 1) adults get to snooze while teens chill with cousins, then they all do a retrograde charades things 'for the little ones' (who are now 11 and 12)
Followed by some large family games with all of us. (red Herring being the favourite, for some unknown reason)

I also get them to think and buy presents for siblings, parents and grandparents - usually £2 each, not much, grandparents often homemade. But the buying and choosing is fun with them, as they dip into the world of Argh, what do I buy for x?

It's still a.magical time. It just changes as they get older. Plan lots of things to do together. Panto, cinema, nice meal out, ice skating, bowling, shopping - basically all the stuff that isn't easy to do with little kids. Christmas day itself enjoy some time to yourself instead of being run ragged by little ones. Have a long bath as you're bound to get some smellies. Watch a movie that you can all enjoy. Mine are into Christmas vacation now and get the jokes which is fun [santa]. Enjoy proper conversations with your dcs. Get the photos out and watch some videos together of when they were little ❤

I think that’s it - we need to find the ‘new shape’ of Christmas. We can do other things over the holidays of course (but can’t stretch to quite the list you suggested Nancy!)
I’m just feeling a little nostalgic for the years of kissing playmobil castles and absolutely believing.