Have hope everybody , Christmas gets better as kids get older

[bigchris]

The teenagers are still in bed , no longer hyped to the max

They help in the kitchen !

They chat politely to relatives !

The presents are no longer boingy noisy flashing things ....

Don't give up it gets better

I love the hyped, happy excited kids though! Even at 5am...

What age is the worst? My 3yo is excited but young enough that she won't be waking up early with it. And shes not getting anything flashing or loud for Christmas.
I imagine age 6-8 is bad when they have a concept of asking for what they want so less control over that, and wake up at 5am because they can?

I was just sitting thinking that I miss all that. Teens here too and although they're lovely and do all the things you say in your OP (except they're always up early!), I miss when they were wee.

I miss mjne being little too. It all feels a bit flat with two teens having a lie in and not that excited anymore.
I loved it when they were little

I miss having toys to play with. Me and DS (26) were lamenting the lack of Playmobil and Lego, we both miss those days.

I miss having young kids around for Xmas. My 2 are 20 and 13. The 20 year old has been home for a week and has literally done nothing to help with getting ready for Xmas (and will continue not to help out), the 13 year old is slightly better.

Yes, it gets much easier... The teen and myself are still in pijamas, we have not bothered putting any decorations up, he doesn’t care about the festive spirit and I’m in strike because I’m tired of making all the effort myself... so we are having burgers for dinner...

I can feel peace, holly Christmas peace... and it is a good feeling.

I have an almost 4 year old and it is wonderful. Definitely think it helps that I just have the one though!

Thanks for this OP! I have two hyper little ones and I’m looking forward to older years

I live the stress and hecticness. It seems more magical. I wake before all of the. Haha.
I have a teen and toddler. So both ends of the scale.

Well I won't be wishing my time away with my little girl however frustrating she is sometimes!

Christmas is the only time of year I miss dd being little. The excitement building up to it all, delighted by an advent calendar, plotting what to leave out for Father Christmas, tracking his journey, her happy little face when she realised he really had been...
She is still quite lovely, but the shrugging, "Don't mind" and having to wake her for lunch at 2pm are not such cherished memories...

THe thing about them getting older is that you can do things differently. You can be out late Xmas Eve or throw a drinks party, lie in Xmas morning, go out for lunch instead of cooking etc... Yes it’s different but that doesn’t have to mean boring or sad.

I have two hyper little ones and I’m looking forward to older years.

It's not the same! Still lovely, but not quite the same. 😟

But then we might get grand children and can do hyper all over Again!!