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Original poster

Early Christmas morning with excited kids ..

18 replies

jomaIone · 26/11/2025 19:39

We are staying at my BILs house this Christmas. I know he and his wife will be ok getting up reasonably early with my 2 young kids (ie 7am!!) but they will inevitably wake at 5am buzzing with excitement!!! How on earth do we keep them quiet and upstairs until everyone is ready?? My in-laws are not early risers but I am hoping they change their ways for the day... Although if they don't, it's their loss truly.

I'm thinking opening stockings in bed, a croissant and cup of milk .. but that'll not take 2 hours 🤪

OP posts:
Checknotmymate · 26/11/2025 19:40

We stick on a Xmas film and say stockings can be opened once it's finished. So take an iPad or laptop you can prop at the end of the bed

NuffSaidSam · 26/11/2025 19:41

Send them back to bed at 5am. Santa hasn't been yet! Get back to bed! Quick!!

Justdancinginthedark · 26/11/2025 19:41

It's one day and you only get a few Christmas mornings with excited children. Let them rush down at 5am to see if Santa's been. I'm really looking forward to those Christmas mornings with my DB.

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NuffSaidSam · 26/11/2025 19:43

Someone once told me that their parents told them that Santa delivered presents in alphabetical order, based on location. As they lived in Worthing he wouldn't get to their house until at least 6am so they best stay in bed until then. She said it worked for a very long time 😂

user1471453601 · 26/11/2025 19:47

I'm a child of the 1950s and my parents always had a Xmas pillow case at the bottom of mine and siblings bed. We were allowed to look in there before parents woke up. Each pillow case contained a copy of the Dandy or Beano, then we swaped.

by the time we'd finished both each, Mum and Dad were awake.e

could you try something like that?

Littletreefrog · 26/11/2025 19:50

We always had our stocking at the end of our bed and were allowed to open our presents but had to stay in bed until an adult came to get us after checking Santa had been.

But with my kids they just piled into my bed once they were awake. They are only little and excited for a few years and honestly why not? Its one day.

Thistooshallpsss · 26/11/2025 19:59

One memorable Christmas my daughter aged about 9 read to her two younger brothers for about 2/3 hours until it was time to wake us up!!!

Original poster
jomaIone · 26/11/2025 20:04

Oh don't get me wrong every other Christmas we are up and downstairs by 5.30 enjoying the magic and chaos but is a different house with child free people... It's not quite that easy!

OP posts:
CheeseWisely · 26/11/2025 20:07

NuffSaidSam · 26/11/2025 19:43

Someone once told me that their parents told them that Santa delivered presents in alphabetical order, based on location. As they lived in Worthing he wouldn't get to their house until at least 6am so they best stay in bed until then. She said it worked for a very long time 😂

I’ve heard that before too 🤣 Shit out of luck if OP is in Aberdeen or Aberystwyth though.

Littletreefrog · 26/11/2025 20:08

jomaIone · 26/11/2025 20:04

Oh don't get me wrong every other Christmas we are up and downstairs by 5.30 enjoying the magic and chaos but is a different house with child free people... It's not quite that easy!

I do know what you mean my parents for some reason tried to enforce a no presents until after breakfast rule on my children when this had never been a rule for me as a child.

But I put my foot down and said we would save all family presents until after breakfast but my kids would be opening their Santa presents when they woke up. Everyone was welcome to join us or not whichever they preferred.

But then We don't really get on so maybe that wouldn't be suitable for you if you actually like your inlaws.

Original poster
jomaIone · 26/11/2025 20:17

Littletreefrog · 26/11/2025 20:08

I do know what you mean my parents for some reason tried to enforce a no presents until after breakfast rule on my children when this had never been a rule for me as a child.

But I put my foot down and said we would save all family presents until after breakfast but my kids would be opening their Santa presents when they woke up. Everyone was welcome to join us or not whichever they preferred.

But then We don't really get on so maybe that wouldn't be suitable for you if you actually like your inlaws.

Show quote history

I don't think they'd impose rules they would just not be ready to open presents as soon as they wake I don't think?! Although having never spent Christmas with them with kids, I actually am not sure. I think 5am is too early for anyone... I survive on coffee and sugar and 5pm naps...

I think a Christmas movie is a good plan, even if they're in bed with us and we can half watch half doze... Hopefully their excited chatter will wake the rest of the house 😂

OP posts:
justjuggling · 27/11/2025 05:14

NuffSaidSam · 26/11/2025 19:41

Send them back to bed at 5am. Santa hasn't been yet! Get back to bed! Quick!!

Absolutely this!

Disasterclass · 27/11/2025 05:31

One of the points of stockings is to keep them busy until time to go downstairs, so definitely include something to read, a game/ puzzle, maybe something to eat too.

DappledThings · 27/11/2025 05:35

As long as you aren't expecting others to be up at the crack of dawn too and they can keep reasonably quiet it's fine.

But stockings can be kept in rooms and opened there so they aren't waking up the whole house.

TheMorgenmuffel · 27/11/2025 05:43

Talk to them, you never know, you might find they'd quite enjoy being part of kids excited christmas morning and if not then they'd tell you what time they are thinking of getting up and you can all try to reach a compromise.

AnotherDayanotherNameChangeX · 27/11/2025 05:44

How young are they? At 5am it’s still dark, could you not get away with saying it’s still night time (which 5am is in my opinion 🤣) and back to sleep

CoffeeTeaCheese · 27/11/2025 06:30

If you're at a different location it's easy to change things up without having to do the same again when you're at home next year. Santa knows everything including where the kids will be AND that at your BIL house, noone goes downstairs until 7am on Christmas morning. Santa knows it's hard to wait that long so he delivers a very special few of the 'downstairs' presents upstairs this year instead (and then you make sure they're good but quietish ones that will keep them busy for a while! Santa might deliver a breakfast snack box, some lego, a craft set and a new Xmas film to watch upstairs for example)

Cannedlaughter · 27/11/2025 10:27

I’d share on a group WhatsApp group about your dilemma. Say you are going to have two very excited children who will wake early and even if you try to keep them in your room it’ll be so difficult for them to be quiet. Explain you will be downstairs early to do Santa gifts and gifts from the family can wait until everyone has woken and drunk coffee. Say anyone brave enough to be awake at 5.30 is more than welcome to join the chaos.
just be open and honest about the day.

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