Should I make the teenagers come out with me tonight?

[Beignet]

Christmas day is just around the corner. I've just been paid so was thinking of going to the lovely Christmas Market in our town. There's an outside ice rink, log cabin stalls, a choir singing Xmas songs. We could walk in, have hot chocolate, mulled wine, treat ourselves to some gifts Even go and have dinner.

Sounds lovely. However my 3 teenagers have rolled their eyes at my appalling suggestion of a family evening.

Do I make them come with me and demand they have a nice time. Or should I just go with dh and drink lots of mulled wine on our own.

Or if anyone has happier smaller children we could borrow for the evening - let me know!

Make them come. They will probably enjoy it once they are out.

Give them a clear time limit - we are going for 1 hour, and promise them a pizza or something nice when you get home.

Fuck em!

Go and enjoy a night out without them. I'd probably get a hotel too and stop out.

Sounds lovely to you, doesn't sound lovely to them. You don't get quality family time by dragging half the family along to something they don't want to do.

Go with your husband (assuming he wants to go!) and have a nice time. Find something everyone wants to do together (or you be the one to do something you're not keen on) if you want family time.

Leave them at home - I wouldn't want mine reluctantly with me as it wouldn't be any fun.

We’re going to a Christmas market with our teens tomorrow. But, I’ve already said that we can split up and look around separately, as they probably won’t want to hang around with DH and I.

Now that DD (18) is at uni, she recognizes the advantages of having parental units in tow…we can pay for stuff! 😂

Enjoy with your DH! They’ve had their chance; obviously they cannot moan they missed out

Do your teens like Christmas markets though? I go out of my way to avoid Christmas markets. The mulled wine and hot chocolate is worse than I make at home and expensive. The stalls usually just sell the same tat as every other Christmas market in the UK. The whole place is rammed so you can’t even enjoy the atmosphere or overpriced mulled wine because someone is probably crashing a pram into your ankles. Ice skating isn’t fun because you’re having to watch out for tiny children darting around propped up by a polar bear. I do love a choir though. Christmas markets turn me into a huge grump - and I’m real Christmas lover in almost every other way. If your teens are in any way like me, I’d leave them at home and everyone would probably be happier.

“Or if anyone has happier smaller children we could borrow for the evening - let me know!”

Me! Me! Me!
< Lobs small children at OP and runs >

And no returns! 😆

Seriously, that sounds absolutely lovely, enjoy it @Beignet (hopefully your teenagers will be suddenly seized by the festive spirit, see the error of their ways and join you)

I go for the bribery with mine.
I'd tell them that they will have to get their own dinner if they don't come.

DD1 would probably decide that was a price worth paying for not being cold and stay happily at home.
DD2 might well come with good grace, but would try and wangle a few extra things while she was there.
Ds it would depend on what the dinner would be, and might or might not enjoy it once he was out there.

My only, child , my ds, 18 would love to do that and would possibly even suggest it!

I have 4 yo twins and an 8 yr old, all boys. To where do I send them??

Decided to just leave them at home. Dh and I had a wonderful time. We drank mulled wine, then wine, then beer :-)

We didn't make the Xmas Market stalls - we stayed in the outdoor pub!

However, I'm really yearning for those happy lovely children of a few years ago that delighted in days out.

Teenagers are a completely different species.... 🙄