Christmas as a family of 4 (kids 9 and 6) or go to relatives?

[Hungryhippos123]

What would you do? Last year we hosted in laws (12 of us in total), previously my family so on so on. Always a bit xmas meal at least 8 of us- DH and I like to host! DH is a teacher so off over Christmas, I am working til 4pm Christmas eve for context:

Option 1: Stay home and have christmas as a 4. PJs all day, cosy film, lovely xmas dinner at home. Sounds great but would it feel a bit...quiet? Lonely thinking of all the big families getting together? We would see family briefly on Boxing day and then go and stay with family over NYE.

Option 2: Wake at home, have presents and breakfast as a 4 and then travel to my parents (45 mins away) and stay overnight. Approx 12 people there in my immediate family. BUT hosting person is a dreadful cook (sorry!) so food wont be anywhere near as good. Also travelling on the day etc... Still same plans over NYE.

I kind of want to try a christmas as a 4 but worried if will feel anti-climactic. Kids happy either way really.

Option 3 have Christmas dinner at home as a family then travel to family mid afternoon.

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How can you be "lonely" when you are with your spouse and children?? Presumably, these 3 people are your favourite people in the world?

We liked to mix things up when our dc were children.
So I'd try staying home as a family of 4.
If you don't enjoy it, then you can go back to bigger affairs next year.
You won't know until you try.

At that age, I think mine quite liked having time to play with / use their presents when they opened them.

We have xmas day just the 4 of us. We have a rule that we don't go to anyone on the day. We enjoy a relaxed day and it means we can eat at a time that suits us. We see family on Christmas Eve and New Years Day usually.

I thought I'd hate the xmas as a 4 thing after hoisting for the last 10 years, then 3 years ago (kids were 6 and 2) we ended up having to stay at home, DS1 asked if we could stay in pjs all day, it was fabulous. We did it last year but with my DM coming to stay, this year its the 4 of us again and DS (now 9) has asked if we can do Pjs and board games again and I'm all for it. No driving, late brunch type breakfast, dinner was just a chicken with all the trimmings rather than a huge turkey. It was so relaxed, I'm really excited to do it again.

Haha fair point but we do a roast most Sundays and watch films/do craft etc so I’m just worried it won’t feel Christmassy and just like a normal Sunday? Dunno. I get the idea of eating and then going to family but we tend to have our Christmas dinner at 3ish, not sure I fancy a massive meal earlier or cooking all morning- having it later means we can do presents breakfast and chill for a bit before starting cooking! Obviously compromise might be needed!

We’ve done both with DS now 12, although family are only 10-15 minutes drive away and really loved alternating with those two options or staying with family much further away so it works out every three years or so we change.

When it’s the three of us, we spend the morning opening presents, have bacon sandwiches and pastries for breakfast with Buck’s Fizz, then me and DS watch a Christmas tv recording or both read new books and eat chocolate while DH cooks dinner.

I’ve always made sure to get DS a quick fun new card or board game for us to play together after dinner and we open any remaining presents, then in the evening we do a cheese board and some kind of pudding and watch a film.

We always see my mum and dad Christmas Eve if we’re not away, for a local nativity or christingle service, then Boxing Day go to my sisters for games and a buffet.

i wouldn’t want to do it just us every year as it is nice to have that variety but it does make for a nice chilled day.

No I’ve spent most christmasses with lots of family and having it just immediate family always felt weird and still does. We have Christmas morning at home sometimes now but I’m always desperate to get to the rest of the family and crack open the champagne. Then the party starts and I love it

We got forced to spend Xmas just us during Covid and found we really enjoyed it. Mainly because side we were the people that moved away so it was always us travelling.

Now we have a lovely chilled day, late brunch after presents, lots of playing, we eat out and then a walk later before Xmas films