to actually not give the bloody DDs their stockings? They are horrid and don't deserve anything.

[CarolCervix]

vile horrid brats are refusing to

a. go to bed.

b. put out a mince pie and carrot.

I have a 4 year old you are more than welcome to borrow, I think I have worked her excitement up way too much today as she is still awake and shouting down every ten minutes or so to see if Santa has been yet

Anyway YANBU, keep your DD's stockings for yourself , that will teach them

dh has just shown me a youtube of a v.v.cute kitten while my growing-old-gracefully cat does the biggest, smelliest poo in the litter tray.

i want a puppy. a big floppy, soppy, fluffy, cuddly, waggy tailed one. i might even get it one of those pointless dressing up outfits. i've got baby an elf suit for tomorrow and don't know why it's taken me 3yrs to start putting my kids in silly outfits before they grow out of it. he's even got a reindeer snowsuit with a tail that waggles when he crawls.

Mine (14 & 19) have voluntarily gone to bed at 10.30.
Hung stockings on bannisters this year rather than end of beds as I can't be bothered fumbling around in the dark.
I reckon I will wake before them in the morning.
Hallejulah. My work here is done. First year EVER.

In our house " Mother Christmas" used to wait up till the "children" had gone to bed until finally one year she got fed up of waiting up and just put out our stockings when she went to bed. We duly stumbled drunkenly over them when we wandered home from the pub at 1 am! It was still very exciting to wake up to a stocking on Christmas morning.
"Mother Christmas" continued to visit until my brother had her first grand child. He was 34 and I was 30. I still miss our stockings

But a baby would be lovely (I am 47 and already menopausal....I have to stop myself stroking other people's babies. Yorkshire terriers, that's the way forward. No night feeds and they stay babies. No Christmas stockings, though :()

Oh you're very very close to the 11am lie in on Christmas day.. just 3 or 4 more years.

Do the stocking.. it'll guilt them into behaving in the morning

we found that Medised worked a treat. DS1 complained about a stuffed up nose.It was the ideal opportunity. He has been bouncing off the walls for 3 days now.

He is fast asleep, FC has been and I am orf to bed!

oh and FC wanted......a glass of milk..........and a club sandwich........and a parsnip for the reindeer........he got a mince pie, a carrot and a glass of milk.

A fcuking club sandwich, I ask thee....

I do like the idea of a spiteful bath and note writing session

Carol, 12 and 15 here and just like you!

12 year old wanted to watch the countdown on my iphone until midnight (Santa can come at 1am, she says, breezily and with a challenging look in her eye).

15 year old is holed in her room probably on facebook and will doubtless not turn off the light until goodness knows what time.

No mince pies or carrots either, 15yo just laughed. Plus I bought clementines and she said "you're so obvious it's ridiculous".

I feel like leaving them coal. I want babies again! Must try to be grateful though, because a few years down the line who knows if they will be here at all. 15yo has already arranged to go out with friends on 27th which was our only day with just us.

Oh thanks, you've depressed me now. I was feeling quite mellow and Christmas eve-ey after quite a lot of ginger wine and had carefully not thought about the fact that mine are 11 and 15 and no one is excited about putting out a mince pie and a carrot . There'll be no one in the morning shouting "he's been, he's been".

I put my teens stockings on their beds about an hour ago.
They are still dead to the world.
The joy of teens at Christmas is that they can help with all the Christmas traditions; the cooking, cleaning and tidying, last minute OFIF shopping of basics. DD had to jog to the shops to get more toilet rolls yesterday.
Plus I have someone to drink with, DH doesn't like mulled wine.

does ofif stand for oh fu** I forgot? I don't have teenagers but ds was told at school about santa by some little rotter. He went to bed and said "mum can you put my stocking beside my bed so I don't knock it off please" he is only 7

Yes, that's what OFIF stands for.
Mine still buy into the mythology, just to keep the magic. Stockings with foodstuffs and novelty items are from Santa, our presents to each other are under the tree.
Sometimes you have to reinvent the Christmas traditions as you go. For example, it's a Christmas tradition that I get a proper breakfast in bed on Boxing day.

Well, I had to wake my 6 year old up this morning at 8.30. I said, "hey, DS, do you thing Santa's been?". He didn't even look up to see all the presents, he just said, "nah, I don't think so" and went back to sleep.

Love this thread :)