Worried about dc growing up to fit in all the Christmas experiences

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Worried about dc growing up to fit in all the Christmas experiences. There’s only a certain amount of time you have, to take them to places like Lapland, Disneyland, Christmas lodges and holidays, days out. Does anyone else feel like this?

Not even remotely .
is this a joke?

Instahuns and Fakebook no doubt, it’s not real.

If social media didn't exist, would you be bothered by this stuff?

I never got any of those type of things when I grew up but I still loved Christmas. I don't think I missed out. The things I remember are Xmas dinners, feeling my stocking in the dark, going for a Christmas walk every Christmas day etc.

What does Christmas mean to you? I'd think about that.

What do you remember about Christmases when you were young?

If your kids are little get a copy of The Jolly Christmas Postman to read in bed. It’s SO cosy!

I've never done any of them with my children and I never did anything like thst as a child.

For me, my favorite Christmas memories are going to my grandparents on Boxing day and having dinner with them and all my aunts, uncles and cousins. We did it every year when I was little. It's routines that make memories for children I think with people they love. I'm not saying having those trips are bad, I bet they are amazing, but they aren't necessary to have lovely memories.

Kids don't care about all that stuff op. They just want to spend time with you.

My guess is that you're trying to compensate for socio-economic struggles.

There are better ways how to put your money to use and there's better experiences of fun and Christmas culture around than Disneyland and Centre Parks.

I didn't do any of that. Mine are young adults now and haven't missed out at all. You are putting yourself under pressure because social media says we should be doing all that.
Just enjoy your children and don't worry about fitting everything in

Just be relieved that the expense of these things won't last for more than a few years 😂

I think its because even though I enjoyed Christmas as a child, i would have also loved the other things mentioned and was also a childhood dream to go to Lapland. Also feel pressured at the short amount of time that children ‘believe’

I remember the decorations my mum made, the excitement of bedtime on Christmas eve, the little paper advent calendars with a picture of a donkey or whatever. Having nan to stay and the smell of her fags. The rituals like trying to find dad's welly socks for a stocking for santa, leaving carrots outside for the reindeer, or getting all the good plates and massive serving bowls out the day before. The Christmas cake icing going rock solid again.

We went to see Santa. It was freezing and not very exciting.

When we came home from uni, we insisted hat mum use the crappy old home-made decorations not the new ones she'd bought. The brandy butter bowl is in my house now and that's all it gets used for, that link to 50 years ago when Christmas was comfort and love and excitement and fun.

Do expensive experiences really matter just because other people do them?

This isn't something I would ever worry about!

Right but when you were a child Lapland wasn't bordering an active war zone with missiles and a madman threatening to use nuclear weapons.

We have had some magical Christmas experiences - Legoland being the one the children really talk about. My memories are how well set up it was so that children didn't notice the multiple Father Christmases, how lovely our FC was and making a snowflake out of Lego. What aspect do they talk about? That I dropped my sandwich and a pigeon ate it!

Right so if you want to do it for you do it.

I always wanted a Mr Frosty, never got one - bought one for DD and it was rubbish.

I always wanted to go to Disneyland, we went when she was 4 it was great other than the fact that she was ill, and actually doesn't remember any of it.

By all means do things for yourself, to make memories for yourself of your children's younger years but know that that is why you are doing it. Because travelling is stressful for all but particularly children and although theyll enjoy it DC don't really care and would be just as happy at home colouring in a cardboard box - providing ofcourse home is a happy and safe place.

Yeah I wouldn’t be going to Lapland at the moment either.

We never did any of these things. Pre-xmas there was a show / fayre at the school. Normally visited the Xmas market (dd likes the roundabouts and the big wheel but not the crowds) and my employer usually laid on a visit from St Nicolas in December where there was goodie bag. That was it. It really is not necessary - they don't remember half of it anyway.

I think you need to take a big step back and consider what is important to you as a family.
What it is that worries you? That if your kids don't go to Disney AND Lapland they will not have had a good childhood?
The vast majority of children do neither of these things.

The most magical photo I have of DS2 is him at a breakfast with Santa at the local garden centre. Can’t remember what it cost, maybe a tenner, for which we got breakfast, a present (colouring book, I think) and an actual chat with Santa!

Lot cheaper than Lapland, OP…

I asked mine once what was her favourite thing about Christmas and the answer was "making mince pies" and "singing along to Christmas songs".

My favourite was the Christmas Eve carol service where they brought a donkey down the aisle. Loved it.

I agree, there’s such a short amount of time whilst they still believe. We go to Center Parcs every year around Christmas time (not Christmas Day), I want to do Lapland before they stop believing but need to wait until they are old enough to fully enjoy it.

Disney can be done at any age, I think that’s probably better when they are a bit older.

I used to go to Center Parcs yearly as a child but didn’t do any of the other Christmas experiences like the steam trains/ breakfast with Santa, we just saw Santa at the garden centre. I loved Christmas. But I understand wanting to make it as magical as possible.

Focus on enjoying your time with them whatever you’re doing rather than worrying about what you should be doing with them. The things you’re fretting about make good photos for insta not (necessarily) good memories.

Destress. I remember feeling inadequate when a friend of mine took her Dc to Lapland to see the 'real' Santa. Same mother walked out on her kids when they were teens. If I ask my DC what matters at Christmas they chorus having spag bol on Christmas Eve, stockings hanging by the fire and a very silly quiz their dad writes every year. Home-made traditions.

It really doesn't matter. The only Christmas experience I had in the 80s was a shopping centre Santa visit. And I look back on my childhood Christmasses with such joy and nostalgia. My main memories are of being in the house at Christmas.