To feel sad that ds is older

[Vacayshun]

Hi,

this Christmas I’m really feeling that my son is no longer my ‘little boy’s he’s 15.

i really miss the Christmas traditions and his excitement. He’s still lovely but it feels different this year. It kind of feels like the end of an era.

does anyone else feel this way?

I did. Still do and probably always will.

Maybe look at it an opportunity to create some new traditions that you/he can take into adulthood.
How about a trip to a Christmas market, pick a charitable project to do together something like the Shoebox appeal (maybe do one for his age/gender & ask him to pick what goes in it) let him have a Christmas party with some friends, plan a family games night, but with more grown up games: cards, quizzes etc. Give him an Amazon gift card & tell him he’s responsible for you & DH stocking.

I get what people mean about new traditions, we are off tomorrow to pick our annual handmade Christmas bauble together and his GF is coming as well, it’s a nice trip out. But I miss the tiny little boy who got excited about Santa coming, it is never the same.

Ours are 17 &15 now and things just naturally change
They carry the tree home now instead of “helping”
They do some of the cooking
We still play games but different ones
We still watch movies but different ones
They enjoy buying presents not just being the ones that get them

They appreciate the time off school more because school is now full on with exam years every year.

There isn’t much you can do they grow up, lean into it @Vacayshun - nothing has been lost it’s just changing and seeing them grow into adults is just as magical if not quite as cute.

My “little boys” are now 33 and 30! The younger one has taken it upon himself to be the Xmas tree fetcher and carrier for his flat and my house and the eldest makes an exceptional beef wellington on Xmas Day. That’s how my Xmas has changed and I love it. ☺️