ToysRus on Xmas eve!! Or if we were lucky it would be the 23rd!!

[Ilovecake1]

AIBU to think that my parents are MAD?? Since I can remember our Christmas tradition was for my parents to take 4 children to ToysRus on the 23rd or the 24th and take a trolley each and just tell us to throw in what we wanted from Father Christmas. I mean anything...they did this as far back as I can remember and I can remember back to the Christmas when I was 4. On Christmas morning we were not allowed out of our bedrooms until they had come in from milking the cows(farmers). When they came in from milking we would then have the shout up the stairs that Father Christmas had just been and we were allowed downstairs to find all the gifts we choose the day before in ToysRus bags!!! They must be slightly mad...but we always had amazing Christmases!

that's hilarious!

Blimey, milk must have fetched a better price in those days?

That is one of the best Christmas stories ever.

To be fair that sounds just like a condensed version of what happens in a lot of families.
just condensed down in to one day rather than dragged out for 3 months.

I am convinced most kids don't believe in Santa, but just don't say for their parents sakes. :)

That doesn't sound very "magical"

Cheekydevil, yes you are sadly right there! But there weren't things like iPads etc in those days as I don't think we would have been allowed to choose them!

I was thinking about this all day yesterday as I do all the traditions for my children...stockings, packing all gifts,food out the night before etc. all the fuss I do every Christmas doesn't mean my children will enjoy and have anymore fun than I did...but they are mad right???

Yes I know it doesn't sound very "magical" but I had the best memories of Christmas at home with my parents!! So much fun, love and laughter and I really wouldn't change my Christmases at home on the farm. I suppose this was out tradition and I didn't know any different until I was a lot older!!

Wow sounds like every childs dream - fill your trolley up !!
Do you have any idea what they spent? Not that it matters I'm just v nosey

I think that sounds brilliant.

No stressing out running round buying presents for months before hand. If that's what a child was used to from the start they would expect any different.

kicks herself for not thinking of that 20 years ago

Heheheheheh I have just remembered the only other 'tradition' that my dad followed on Christmas morning. He would open a tin of Roses and we would only be allowed to eat chocolates for breakfast. Seriously, every child's dream!

Dec- I really don't think there was a budget of such but I know they wouldn't have been spending thousands! We never had any presents during the year, well only something small for birthdays so I suppose Christmas was a time to let us run wild...so to speak!

I can't fault their logic as in fact, in my experience, the shops are dead on Christmas eve!
I once had to work until lunchtime on 24th and being a hapless 19yo I had failed to do any Christmas shopping at all so had it all to do. I went out and got everything in 2hours, the shops were like ghost towns, everything was reduced and it was the most stress free christmas shopping I have ever done.

Sounds very sensible to me and hilarious.

Wouldn't expect any different - duh!

Do you do this with your own DCs? I expect not but the thought of letting them loose in toysrus just fills me with joy! Mine are too old for toys now but I think they'd have loved it.

Does sound like great fun. Not sure they were mad,probably a bit pressed for time as farmers?

Downton-No, I don't do it with my children but I did think yesterday would they have better/more fun filled Christmas if we did it this way?? Maybe next year as I am already bought and packed for this year! It fills me with excitement even thinking about next Christmas spree!

Cheekydevil- yes, very true. Worked very hard when we were young and even harder now just to break even!! :(

Roger-yes I can fully imagine that, do you still shop last minute?

Heheheheheh I have just remembered the only other 'tradition' that my dad followed on Christmas morning. He would open a tin of Roses and we would only be allowed to eat chocolates for breakfast. Seriously, every child's dream!

This was one of our family traditions as well. The only thing though, was that we used to get up at 3 or 4am and as soon as the presssies were opened the chocolate tin was open!!!!

Those were the days!

By the way your childhood christmas sounds fantastic!!

Totally mad, but what child wouldn't want to be let loose in toys r us on christmas eve!!

That's one of the traditions I do, chocolate for breakfast - in fact dd gets plenty in her stocking so she doesn't annoy us before 8am.

And she can eat as much chocolate as she wants all day - and she eats the largest Christmas dinner ever.

What a great idea!

I remember my mum wrapped all of our presents on Christmas eve And did most of her shopping in a fog of utter stress around 23rd December.

I have done most of my shopping already because I can remember the stress!

OP, that sounds wonderful and I'm a bit envious (in a nice way) of your lovely childhood memories :)

When I win the Lottery, I'll do the same for my kids!

That sounds brilliant, it's really made me

When DS was little and the cats were kittens, I used to leave all of the decorations and wrapping etc until Christmas eve. I would spend 23rd &24th cooking and baking mince pies, ginger bread, shortbread etc. put him to bed after pinning up his stocking and putting out stuff for santa and the reinders; and then put up all of the decs, the tree, the cards, wrap the presents in a wine fuelled evening, and then when he got it up in the morning, the house had suddenly turned into Christmas. his little face was a picture.

Now, with 3 kids, it is too much to leave it all until the last couple of days, so I tend to put the tree up a bit earlier and the kids decorate it and put the cards and things up. I still bake for two days before hand though, and usually leave the wrapping to the last minute.