Middle class families seem so much busier in the run up to Christmas

[Santasfakebeard]

The mc families in DC school seem to have something on the whole month of Dec judging by the dc's class whatsapp groups. Is it just a middle class thing? Pantos, choirs, concerts, wreath making & mulled wine family evenings, markets abroad, carol singing.
I would love my dc to experience it all but we simply don't have the funds.
Is it just the mc & umc that can afford to offer their dc those festive experiences?

I would say I am middle class (two professionals, one toddler DC household) and we have a busy December. Well, I guess it's started already as we've been to two different NT properties this weekend to see them dressed for Christmas. That's free as we are members, but then there's petrol, food and drink. Next weekend is the nursery Christmas fair, we are taking my nephew to the panto the weekend after (£90ish for 3 tickets). We also have booked a Christmas light trail the following week (don't ask how much that cost for 4 adults and 1 child), then we'll have days with friends and family before the big day - that will probably involve more trips/meals out.

We never did this much when I was little (one SAHP and one working parent, manual job).

@crackofdoom never a truer word said!

Oh come on. It's not about 'energy'. It's about privilege and circumstance.

We do a lot at Christmas and it costs a lot - concerts and plays at big London venues, light trails, Winter Wonderland. It's something we all enjoy as a family and we have the funds for it and we like the dc to experience the music and theatre. We aren't Christian and don't do much church stuff though we do a family concert in a church venue.

I am not sure if I'm defined as middle class. We have a high family income but apparently that isn't what defines class? I grew up in a council estate and I was a single mum in a council flat for years, living on benefits. I've never had a professional job.

@multivac I'm not entirely sure. The mc we know were either bit into it or have worked very hard. They all have traits in common energy, aspiration & motivation ( both for themselves & their dc)
I digress, the point of my thread is they "do" Christmas very well! Roll on boxing day for the photos of all the outdoorsy pursuits!

It all seems too much. Kids will be knackered by Christmas Day!

I think now, ‘Christmas’ seems to be mid November until Christmas Day, whereas in the past mine started Christmas Eve until at least the second of January. I still do this.

I love the prep, but also love Christmas Day itself and then the cosy family times, at home from Boxing Day. For many families it seems Christmas is finished by Boxing Day. ☹️

We get a local free paper and for weeks now it’s been full of the various free festive activities going on in the nearby town. Have you looked at those things OP? Do you have a free paper, or a local Facebook site?

Of course the fancy things cost money, but there’s a load of free stuff, it’s just a case of working at finding it. Nothing to do with class.

Different priorities? I'm WC and spend money on Christmas activities, many can also be free or cheap. However, I keep things simple with presents and buy second hand when I can. I know people on a similar income who give their children piles of presents for the sake of it and everything must be new.

Everything costs a fortune but there are some things you can do that perhaps don't make great insta worthy photos but that kids enjoy:

• Walking around the Christmas wonderland at the garden centre
• A lot of town centres and shopping malls do a free or cheap Santa where you don't have to book or pay a fortune
• If you go to Xmas markets you don't have to buy anything other than a drink and a mince pie
• Christmas films at home with a brew, fancy chocolates or biscuits and a mince pie
• Walking around the local area and looking at people's lights
• local am-dram theatres and some local councils do a cheap panto where you can still boo and hiss and shout, "It's behind you!"

Essentially, it's what you make of it. You don't need to be middle class and have money to enjoy being with your family.

I live in a council house in one of the top ten most socially deprived towns in the country. I'm not middle class. We still do (or did, when my dc were younger) quite a lot for Christmas.

We probably fit your description and have a pretty busy December. All of our weekends are booked up and DD1 finishes school on 8th so I have a lot of weekdays time to fill! We’ve booked lots of free or low cost things but the key is booking it months ago, now is not the time to be looking!

It's not a class thing , anyone can be as busy or quiet as they want to be surely

I know about much more that is going on locally than we go to. I'm WC, I just check the noticeboard at the library and take a photo of things we might do, and follow a lot of local organisations on Instagram.

We don’t do many “things” for christmas, we get theatre tickets. So the kids won’t have heaps of presents (around £60 per child all in all, so from parents, grandparents and uncles all together), but we spend on theatre.
Its personal preference, but they don’t really want toys (6 and 10 years old), they both love junk modelling etc which is free. Both love the theatre though

Surely some people are just massively ‘into’ Christmas, regardless of class? We’re solidly middle class and haven’t got any family events in the diary other than school Christmas disco and Christmas concerts.
I don’t even have a work Christmas do to go to, though I sing in a choir and some years that can be busy if I sign up to too much.
The main event for the kids is seeing family, especially their cousins, for a few days over Christmas itself, then we try and have a couple of nice days out in early Jan and play ridiculously complicated lengthy board games. Maybe I should hand my middle class badge back, but I wouldn’t be very convincing as a member of the proletariat given I went to private school!

Going home to parents in the countryside/carols round the tree etc might just be normal to them though? Not showing off.
We do those things and ice skating /pantomime /church service because they are part of our Christmas, not to show off.

I don’t think it’s a middle class thing.

We have horses so every weekend is busy, we just add tinsel in December.

This too. We don't tend to buy heaps of presents (maybe £150/child tops) but we do spend a fair amount on theatre trips/ice skating/skiing etc. It's just different preferences.

Decorate the tree, Christmas movie night with hot chocolate, oats and glitter to make reindeer food, wrap wider family presents together, local carols, have friends round for mulled wine and nibbles, boardgame night with Xmas music. All things my kids enjoyed

Is it also a MC thing to dress your children in their best clothes so they can destroy them on nature walks? Quite a few times now I have spotted little girls in beautiful party dresses and wellies, being encouraged to roll around in the mud or climb trees. DD has 2 dresses that she rotates for parties and special events and I would go berserk if DP dressed her in them for a rainy dog walk or a trip to the beach in winter. I can’t be certain the families were MC but I know I couldn’t afford to replace dresses like that!

Agreed - also carol services, Christmas books, Christmas baking, Christmassy crafts ...

Ah, but that may well be money, too. When you are a 'member' of a museum, you get emails and magazines telling you about upcoming events.

I think it’s having primary aged kids that do a couple of activities that fills up the December calendar. I can’t do wreathmaking though as I’m booked up when I’ve seen sessions on already!

Oh Jesus - I can’t believe people like you exist. You actually think some people are innately better than others. So you don’t think upbringing comes into it? The privilege of a good education and non stressed parents and time and money to exercise and eat well. And being surrounded by other people who are like this.

I can’t stand panto, so I’d let the grandparents take them to that if they wanted!! We do a lot of things at Christmas, but then we like to be out every weekend anyway as we are working all week.

We live in central-ish London. There are so many cheap classical concerts. We usually go to park or the forest (free), but will lunch out (but you could easily take a picnic). We visit friends, but this is also inexpensive as we just bring a couple of bottles of wine and sweet or savoury treats. We are lucky that we have a piano and other musical instruments so singing carols is fun, but no reason why you can’t do this with Spotify and some jingle bells. We don’t visit Father Christmas, but we look at all the Christmas lights which doesn’t cost anything.

We are fortunate to live in London where there are so many free/cheap things to do and transport is also reasonable.

The best part of Christmas is the build up. Local light switch on, pantomime, Santa train, Christmas disco, ice skating etc. I book things early so the cost is spread out. Same with present buying. But we also do movie and game nights, local walks to see the house done up with Christmas lights. All about balance. If I can't afford it I won't do as much.