Tell me about your DC on Christmas Eve

[FlamingoAndJohn]

I don’t have children and have on the whole made my peace with this but I do feel it on Christmas Eve.

Tell me what utter joys or pains in the arse your children are being tonight.

Mine are about 1.5 and just turned 3 so still too young to really know what's going on and are a bit baffled by everything. 3yo helped me put milk and cookies and a magic key out though, and surprisingly went to bed better than usual. I've been at work today though (thankfully) so was probably more relaxed with them than usual!

It certainly hasn't been as idilic as you imagine in your head. My two are 3.5 yrs and 22mths and have been up and down all day. A lot of crying, moaning and generally constantly needing things from me lol. We went to the pub for some food and that was lovely - walking home in the dark and my 3 year old being so delighted with the lights was amazing. My 22 month old cried at bedtime as she thought her stocking was a blanket and couldn't understand why we made her hang it up. Highlight was my three year old giving me a proper hug back at bedtime and saying 'happy Christmas mummy'. Very special. So basically a rollercoaster of a day as all days tend to be with kids. The worst and best round and round and round.

13 and 9, first year of youngest no longer believing so the magic has dulled a little. However they have both been extremely kind and helpful today, loving and relieving stress. Couldn’t ask for more.

Today has been a day of preparation, housework this morning, veg for tomorrow this afternoon, quick church at 4 and home for supperwitb a bit of last minute sewing snatched here and there with 10 minutes still to do tomorrow!

Lasagne, garlic bread and salad for supper led to a surprisingly interesting conversation about meal choices for Christmas Eve. Then watching some dubious TV before bed.

I grew up way out in the country a long time ago.
On Christmas Eve everyone would get invited up to the Manor House. It was a lovely big house up a long drive with a grand staircase. They had a huge tree that went up the middle of the stairs.
We’d have tea there, with alcohol for the grown ups. Then the lord of the manor would disappear up the stairs and come down as Father Christmas with a present for all the children.

So after that I’d be knackered and go straight to sleep.

It’s lovely to hear about other people’s traditions, I know mine was rather odd.

We've had a quiet but lovely day. Came back from the panto at about 6pm to find the elves had left their usual night clothes and hot chocolate stuff - this year bombs.

Ds1 watched the Patrick Stewart CC and ds2 did some singing then we had tea followed by the hot choc and the traditional watching of Father Christmas (Briggs), which they love due to the many shots of his bare bottom. I felt like the bomb hadn't worked properly and we should have heated milk in a pan rather than using the microwave and ds2 said 'maybe that would have been better but I still love it,' which I thought was sweet.

Then they went to bed where we read The Night Before Christmas together and they did silly poses while I took photos of them hanging up stockings and they enjoyed their new glow in the dark blankets.

They are struggling to get to sleep but it's mainly quite up there. With just the 3 of us and them being 12 and 10 it feels a bit, not flat because that sounds negative, but quiet but that's good, and both are excited about tomorrow, as am I. I have nothing to do tonight as I wrapped last night and for the first time in a good few years I've nothing to build/download/charge etc, so I feel a bit redundant but relaxed. Tomorrow it will probably go pear-shaped but so far so good!

These are so lovely to read. Mine never got excited on Christmas eve. They both have ASD though so that may have had something to do with it. Its never been doom and gloom though. They always went to bed on time and slept late in the morning . We still have a lovely Christmas.

DS1 was working today; he’s been home, had a nap, delivered parcels and then has lounges about all night reading a book.

DD1 only finished work at 9pm. She’s helped me sort out the present piles and is now wrapping gifts for the dogs!

Mine have been lovely today but very lively. They're in bed now but the eldest isn't asleep yet. We've had hot chocolate and watched a film and put some milk, a carrot and a mince pie out for Santa. The youngest has written a letter and made a jigsaw for him.

They are being fabulous, with the small exception of DC2, aged 5, who let rip the most almighty fart during one of the prayers at the carol service tonight. DH and I corpsed

DS1 has been tetchy today. He has ASD and having Christmas days after his birthday is not ideal! We went to a Christingle service which he found awkward as the church was much busier than he's used to. DS2 was thrilled to see classmates there. For DS1, his classmates are in the wrong place. I'm a bit nervous about being out for Christmas Dinner tomorrow.

We had a lovely simple roast dinner as I'm not cooking and DS1 is the world's biggest sprout fan!

The highlight of the evening was when they took matters into their own hands to sort out the Santa plate. Now hoping that they are finally asleep, DH was long gone on the sofa long before them and there's the presents to rearrange and Santa presents to bring in.

After last year's delight of child A going to sleep long after midnight, and the other bright eyed and bushy at 5 am, they have been warned sternly that any ridiculously early wakings will mean that they obviously have enough energy to be well up for 5k of parkrun at 9am

My son has been a nightmare today as expected, he finds big changes very hard to handle. It’s almost 11pm and he still isn’t asleep, I have given up, so my friend and his mum are tag teaming to try to send him to the land of nod ZzzzZzzz

DS (15 months) had an absolute ball at the Christingle service, didn't stay still for a second- I'm knackered! We are on 5am wake ups at the moment so I'm crossing my fingers I get a bit of a later start...!

11, nearly 12 year old DS is still up. Never had a problem with him sleeping on christmas eve, but this year he's been beyond excited and not slept properly for days. It's his first year without "santa". We've tried to do all the same stuff but it's a bit hard with him up and down like a yo-yo. I'll be glad when tomorrow comes and he can settle back down because he's exhausted and no one finds a tired child easy to deal with, no matter the age.

I worked this morning, but this afternoon my DS and I (5) watched home alone. I love that movie as reminds me of my own childhood. He sat through the whole thing, and screamed at all the parts Macaulay did! It was amazing to share something like that with him and hmfor him to get it!! It’s a memory I’ll hold forever. The rest (presents/ food/ crazy) is just noise.
Happy Christmas Op.

My teenaged DD suffers with mental health and is having a bad day so we’ve all been feeling her wrath, I sometimes don’t know what is just her teenaged moodiness and what is deeper so I’m always wary of reacting. Luckily I have a 6 year old who has been so excited and lovely all day and went to bed early so Santa can come.