Working Christmas when a parent

[Furryscoob]

If you are a parent to primary school age children but also do a job that involves working Christmas Day how do you organise it?

Last time I worked Christmas Day my children were too little to understand when the day was so we just had Christmas Day on a day sometime around Christmas when we were both off work but this time they are 5 & 9 so not so easy to move the day.

I still moved the day.

They understood. And it’s a good example for parents to work regardless of what day it is.

Gives future them a good work ethic.

We moved the day - did everything on the 24th.
Told the kids we'd asked Santa to drop everything off a day early because Daddy had to work.
Then went and had a lovely day out with another family in the same situation on the 25th.

I did this when little. We had a main ‘family’ Christmas Day whenever suited (often very late as both parents did shifts), and a relaxed fun time on 25th. It was never an issue as it was our normal, and I’ve not grown up scarred!

My Dad was military and often worked Christmas Day. We just shuffled the present giving and meal to a time on Christmas Day that he was home, or to Boxing Day.

Mum would still make a fuss and give us a small present to open and a nice special meal on the day, watch all the Christmas tv. I don’t remember being bothered by it much. It was always sold to us as “Daddy has a special job where he helps people, and people still need help on Christmas Day”. We just thought he was super important!

Just move the day you celebrate. Do the whole Xmas day with presents, dinner etc.

My Mum just explained to us that she had to work and made it really special for us on another day instead. My Nan used to look after us on Christmas Day and always made a huge Christmas dinner and played with us and so it still felt like a really lovely day!