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?

It's definitely a middle class thing, working classes are having a rest on Christmas Day (if at all possible).

Is it the case that working class people are not as high energy as middle class?

Or is it that a child born to a working class family will likely have had a less advantageous childhood, and less opportunities than a child of the middle class?

It's a huge thing now! And very expensive. A local florist/artist is running an Xmas one in her studio, very much aimed at mc mums & their kids (I'm sure dads would be welcome too😁). 40 quid inc a cup of mulled wine & a mince pie, hot chocolate & gingerbread cookies for the kids. It was sold out in a couple of hours as were the other workshops she set up afterwards due "to demand".

@Ppzd when mine were little we went to garden centres and let them choose a bauble each
Lots of churches do nativity services and carols which are free
Also do a Christmas 'crafternoon' where we all meet at someone's house with snacks, Xmas music and make Christmassy things (get some sets from home bargains/hobby craft)
Have a drive round to look at the best decorated house - take blankets and a little bag of treats in the car to make it special and go after dinner.

Carol singing often happens locally and is free. We attend one on our local green organised by the church. The last place we lived before here they hosted Carol singing outside the church. Go ask if your local one is doing one and if so when. As for wreath making if you have a woods around you can get everything you need free. There are tutorials on you tube if you need a starting point. It doesn't all have to cost money but it's also very easy to spend money on Christmas activities. Garden centres usually put on great activities low cost for Xmas if your kids are small

I don’t really understand op. Why are the parents posting pictures of their Xmas activities in the class WhatsApp? And they’re posting pictures of their shooting on country estates? Yet your children both go to the local state school? Seems unlikely. Plus it’s not even December yet so a little early for them all to be doing Carol singing at the grandparents etc.

is this all made up.

And of course if you have spent all week on your feet in a shop /cleaning etc you are less likely to want to ponce around doing stuff at the weekend than someone who had been sat around in meetings

(And I say that as a very sedentary but senior professional)

It's ignorant and abhorrent to imply that professionals/wealthy people are somehow more virtuous and hard working.

I feel so lucky every day that I have a very white collar job and can continue to work despite disability. Most people with my condition who have working class jobs have to quit and survive on benefits. I'm not more virtuous than them, just more fortunate

Evening walk/drive to look at people's lights. Take a flask of hot chocolate and marshmallows.

Cinemas often do cheap family showings on a weekend morning

See whether local libraries, art galleries, museums etc have anything on. There's often free crafts and so on.

Make a gingerbread house. I once made some up the day before then invited the children's friends to come and decorate them. Ask friends to contribute some sweets for decorating.

@Ppzd you know what my 4 year old loves......Christmas lights and all things Christmas tree/decorations.
We take him for a walk around the streets we know have great lights, light switch ons (usually free) and his particular favourite....the garden centre! He absolutely loves the garden centre they have amazing things they sell but for a kid they think the entire display is for them. We don't have to buy anything (occasionally we buy a matchbox car!)

Have a look for any local community events they tend to be fun and free

I don't spend a lot at Christmas because I think it's got out of hand tbh

*Iwanttheraintostop · Today 18:58

We have ice-skating,panto, Christmas lights trail booked and a couple of meals out - it isn't cheap but I don't go overboard on presents I prefer experiences over stuff.*

totally agree , spend money on the memories, Santa only needs to bring one present, and you only need to buy one from you, They really don’t needs piles of stuff to open on Christmas Day it the lead up that’s the best thing about Christmas.
Remember there is only room for one present on that sledge 🛷 for every child in the world to get a present.

I'm starting to celebrate now because everything is a bit shit at the moment, and putting my Christmas tree up early has brough me a tiny shred of joy.

I have been knocking around here for a fair few years so I know this thread to be a hardy perennial. If you are a younger parent feeling crap reading some of these posts, don’t. Half of it is made up. The other half is just competitive nonsense. Just do what makes you and your dc happy.

It’s a class thing to an extent. I’d say we fit the MC bracket but even when we’ve had less money, I’ve always known where to find events that are cheap/free. You need to have some awareness that these things exist in the first place and can be done cheaply, eg night at the museum/light switch on for free in the next town over, library decoration making sessions for free in the school Xmas holidays, smaller local garden centres with a festive feel, local brass bands playing etc. As PP have said, wreath making from recycling or a walk and collect your own twigs/holly. Biscuit making is cheap - or Christmas Cookies as they seem to be known. Ditto make your own cards/wrapping paper (think the current Primark bags). Local churches have so much on right now, even if it’s just the carol service with a mince pie after. It’s all cultural capital and new experiences. Plenty to choose from and free.

Ouch, what are you basing this on? You sound v bitter. Do you have anything to back up this angry claim?

I’m mc, I think as you get older you realise what they actually like to do and also what’s a waste of money.
Kids have the local panto with school so that’s that sorted.
one child is in a choir so we will have that performance.
will do cinema on Xmas eve as that’s a family tradition.
we live close to a few venues that charge an absolutely stupid amount to work around forest/stately homes in Xmas lights. Sod that. Our estate goes over board so we pick a night, put Xmas songs on our phones and wander around the estate.
We now do family games nights we surprisingly have gone down a storm and cost nothing bar a few snacks
The moral of the story is just do you!

I thought we had busy Advents and Christmastides until one of my DC became a chorister. Absolutely next-level. Like having a ten-year old with a full-time job in the house.

Yes and mc kids are usually stressed and nervy as a result imo

There is lots you can do cheaply too if you know where to look.

We will be doing ice skating, a local Christmas Market, going to see Wonka, the village Christmas lights turn on, hot chocolate in the lit up gardens, Messy Navitity and probably a Carol service.

The first three will cost a decent amount of money, the light switch on is donations for mince pies etc and the other 3 are free.

Plus associated Christmas events relating to school and extra curricular activities.

My kids favourite winter things include twilight walks in the local woods telling ghost stories by torchlight (free), picnics by the Christmas tree and crafting of some description. This year we are making a papier mache snowman.

This.
I’m live just outside Liverpool, am definitely working class and my GC and GNephews and Gnieces ( who are just as working class as me) do pantos, lantern trails, Santa trains …..the works ….as do all my friends children

No need to spend a fortune on these things. Learn how to make a wreath on YouTube. It’s pretty easy and you can have fun foraging for the foliage and pine cones. Dry some oranges. Wire up pine cones and small apples to decorate Carols and concerts free in many churches

make your own Christmas craft bits and bobs. Make dried orange garlands or decorations for the tree. So many lovely ideas out there for free things to do learn to cook some special Christmas recipes. The MC don’t have a monopoly on the fun stuff

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!

How would anyone know you went to private school unless you told them? And I bet you do!

Not us, hate all that shite

I'm in the dh Lawrence category: wc made good.
When dc were little, we did father Xmas visits and lights, I think. Did ice skating one year. That was shit.
Did pantomime one year. That was good.
Unfortunately, Xmas run up co-icides with mock exam fortnight, so Xmas can't exist for us until mid December. By which time I'm that fucking knackered, that I want it all to go away. Marking a million exam papers is easy compared with trying to make Xmas magic for teens. Especially if you don't actually give a shiny shite about Xmas yourself and are just waiting for spring.

A lot of it is money gives you choice

But some of it is cultural which can be good (making it a priority to experience lots of different things) and bad (doing too much/doing things for the sake of cultural capital). I can think of extremely broke but culturally middle class people who manage to do a lot of it, by sniffing out freebies and by negotiating discounts.

Oh god, can't you just do whatever you want to do and let them all get on with it?

My kids did a number of activities, and there were school Christmas concerts and other events related to those. There's far more winter trails, Christmas markets, Christmas craft fairs etc now even than when my children (in their 20s) at the time, that are free. Christmas light switch-ons even.
sake your own Christmas traditions - eg we always made a big 'production' of putting up the Christmas trees and decorations. Never did Elf on the Shelf (wasn't of our 'time' thank god) - neither were Christmas Eve boxes. Our major tradition on Christmas Eve for instance was leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer and bought bags of charity-supporting sparkly oats scattered around the doorstep.

I'm not a baker but if you are - Christmas cake - Christmas puddings, making a wish..

Never live your life by other people's lives.