To make a 3+hour journey on Christmas day (I know Iabu for mentioning Christmas in July so don't read if this angers you!)

[Drivinghomeforchristmasornot]

Have been invited to a relatives for Christmas. Would like to go and see family but kids would rather wake up in our house on Christmas day.

Dh and I agree that it could feel a bit flat to just have us and kids for the rest of the day though (we usually spend it with relatives)

So I have suggested that after early mornjng stocking opening, a bit of breakfast and a few bigger presents we could get in the car (ready packed) at about 10am with a couple of DVDs and hot chocolates and Hopefully be with relatives in time for lunch at about 1.

My thinking is that the roads will be quiet, kids can have a bit of downtime before an exciting couple of days and we get the best of both worlds of waking up at home but seeing family.

Concerns are that they won't get much time to actually play with new toys, I guess there could be unforeseen travel delays and it just seems a bit wrong to spend 3+ hours of christmas day in the car.

Any thoughts?

Same as pp. I'd hate leaving my new toys behind. And the getting ready to get in car always stressful here. And if the roads are icy . Nope no way. Stay at home.

To me, Christmas Day is not spent in the car (and no I don't live near my parents).

Sounds like the worst Xmas day ever for a 6 and 3 year old.

We do this every year as it's the only way we can see all the Grandparents. But dc open their presents Xmas eve so have time to play the day before.

Could father Christmas have already been told to leave their presents (and fill stockings) at the other place? So you have to go the day before to leave milk and biscuits out for him and so the stockings will be ready when they wake up etc

My friend spent a few hours of Christmas Day in the car every year when we were kids. She doesn't have fond memories of it, despite her happy childhood and loving grandparents. I would prefer my children to be able to relax all day at home. I'd travel early on Boxing Day.

Ok so consensus seems to be that adults don't mind it/like it but children don't.
Fair enough I'll have a think about going on Boxing Day instead (although traditionally that is our 'chilling out and playing' day.

Slightly hyperbolic there chippy! Maybe not perfect but can't see what's so terrible about having a relaxed mornjng at home and then having an exciting family afternoon and evening?
To be honest my 6 year old would much rather chat than play with toys anyway and the 3 year old wild probably sleep for much of the journey and conserve his energy to stay up later

We tried to do this last Christmas. Car broke down and we spent 4 hours waiting for a tow truck - Rags yes the RAC do work Christmas Day!! - and then we set off on our journey again in our other car. We would have just called it quits and stayed at home were it not for the fact that DH's Dad had terminal cancer and it was his last Christmas.

I will never travel on Christmas Day again until the children are much, much older.

chippy actually mine loved it, even the breaking down part. They are perfectly happy in the car - and weren't at all bothered about having to leave half their new things at home.

No I wouldn't. We did it for a few years. We all hated it. Christmas was just not they same. Dd eventually told us she hated it so we stopped.

We always have a quiet Christmas at home and visit family at other times.

I'm going to disagree.

Giving children Xmas gifts then saying they can't play with them and putting them in the car for 3 hours is cruel.

Given the ages of your children could you do Xmas morning on Xmas eve morning?

Oh and don't have more than a single drink Xmas eve (if you drink that is), I drove in to Manchester Xmas day, the police were stopping lots of cars traveling the other way and breathalising people, obviously targeting the ones that had been for a pint in the morning but you don't want to get caught out if you drink the night before.

I think your original plan to go on Christmas Day are fine. The children wake up in their own beds, which they want, you all get to spend the rest of the day relaxing at relatives, once you've made the journey. I would go on Christmas Day when traffic should be easy, at least at 10/11 am until a bit of a lunchtime rush.

I wouldn't travel that far on Christmas Day- we usually have family with us but actually LOVE the few occasions we've had with just the 4 of us. They were very special Christmas Days.

However. it doesn't really matter what anyone else would do. It's what suits you and your family. What does your Dh want to do? At 3 and 6 I'd say your DC are pretty flexible and would just go with the flow.

I agree - the blanket all children hate it or its cruel is ridiculous to be honest. Depends on the children and as I said previously up thread, the parents - how you make the journey fun, play with (some specially bought easy to travel) presents in the car. My children adore the chaos and noise (and getting spoiled) that comes with an extended family Christmas, seeing their cousins / aunts / uncles / grandparents, and are more than happy to sit in the car to get there to have that.

Giving children Xmas gifts then saying they can't play with them and putting them in the car for 3 hours is cruel.

Of course it isn't "cruel".

The easiest thing to do is ensure a good number of the presents are able to be played with in the car.

Why not just have your Christmas Day on Christmas Eve? You can explain to Father Christmas and he will happily deliver presents early for you. Just don't forget to put out his treats. Driving on Christmas Day is so much quieter. Although be warned that a lot of the service stations are shut so toilets are scarce.

OP, we did it last year with children of a similar age (7 and 3). We did it the year before too.

It actually worked fine.

Kids up insanely early. Did presents and special breakfast (pancakes etc, and DH had set up the train set on the table to pass the jams etc around).

Then into the car. Santa leaves the stockings in the car instead of with the main present (and makes sure that at least one of the main presents is portable). DH decorates the inside of the car with tinsel and various decorations, and we bring plenty of Christmas CDs to sing along to.

The first year we did it I thought I would hate it (I was homesick, in a country where Christmas was totally different to what I was used to, and frankly didn't want to go to MILs at all). In fact it (the morning and the car journey) ended up being the best part of the day (MIL's Christmases aren't exactly festive and it only made me more homesick, but that is a whole other tale).

The kids loved it - and they enjoyed being at MIL's too, so they wouldn't complain about it at all.

We did it again last year as an intentional way of having some of our Christmas that was "ours", while still seeing MIL and the rest of the family.

This year there will be no travelling and we will be with my parents for a more traditional Christmas, but I think I (and the DC) may actually miss our 2 hour Chistmassy journey.

Swaying back towards doing it now! As others have said we wouldn't be doing It every year and would go all out to make the car journey as fun as possible.
i certainly wouldn't be giving them presents then saying they couldn't play with them! Will either chose ones that travel easily or hold back a couple until we come home. Plus they will have from about 6am probably to play. IME lots of presents don't get played with straight away anyway-we've only just started a Lego set from last Christmas for example!

I haven't read all the posts, but I did see the bit about your DC wanting to do stockings at home.

It sounds very feasible. It gives you all what you want - waking at home, seeing family, other family hosting.

It is a decent drive to contemplate, any day. But I presume you are used to it if going to family. Having DVDs for DCs is a good idea, and making it fun. Hot choc (snowman soups?!), and a "car picnic" with some nice treats (not all sugary sweets - are there posh sausage rolls they like, or particular biscuits or fruit, and a nice drink as well as plenty of water?) would be good, although ration it (have plenty in boot in case of troubles as probably few places open, but just have enough to stave off starvation and boredom in car, not to spoil the turkey dinner).

Remind yourself in advance of the usual car games (I spy, How long is a mile/next junction etc, how many red/green/blue cars, Car bingo (but will have fewer trucks and buses than normal) etc). And if you have any travel games for in the car (connect 4, hungry hippos etc - Ker plunk is not so great!!) or a pack of cards.

Have a carol singing contest, or nice Christmassy CDs to play.

Check if family who are hosting want you to bring something as you won't be around for the preparations. (And be prepared to be chief washer-uppers after).

But it does also mean that DCs can decide on a few new things to bring (leave a space in the pre-packed car) and may have things useful to play with en route (does Santa bring DVDs to your house - that he might have a new one for the car this year?!).

And it also means that you can enjoy the dinner on arrival, and sit around after some wine etc, without facing driving home again.

We keep threatening to do this ourselves (2.5 hours drive) - but keep renting a house between both sets of parents instead (20 mins apart) to get our bit of peace and quiet. And alternating with Christmases of just ourselves (DH, DD and I) at home - some one of these years, one side of the family might actually agree to travel to us. But Christmas at home is nice too, stockings, nice brekkie, Christmas morning mass, visiting locally and a walk on the local pier as well, getting home while still bright (a treat for us at that time of year), lighting the wood stove and checking turkey (I set up the timer to get it started in case we get delayed out), and relaxing with some wine while it finishes and we open presents together.

So while mostly I am saying yes to driving on the day, don't knock the idea of a quieter family day either. It can be really nice and relaxed, and doesn't need to be flat at all.

I wouldn't think twice about doing that.

Oh, and they got to travel in their pyjamas which they loved (3yo DD was in fits of giggles the whole way down), and we pull over before we get to MILs for them to change.

Actually, I just remembered that last year we actually went in 2 cars for long and boring reasons (DH and DD1 in 1 car, DD2 and myself in the other). And it was still fun. Especially as DH gave the DDs our camping walkie-talkies and they chatted to each other until the batteries ran out!

We do similar though it's a 90 min journey rather than 3 hours.

DS (5) is up early anyway so we do stockings and presents at home first then he chooses what he wants to take to his cousins house and off we go. We then stay there for 2 nights normally and come home on 27th or 28th Dec. He gets more presents at his cousins house and gets to play with them and when we get home, he's got the toys from Christmas Day he's normally forgotten about.

My DS seems quite happy with this arrangement so far but he is always very excited about sleeping over at his cousins house so is fine with the journey on Christmas Day.

We used to do this every year, 3-4 hour journey between my parents and PIL's house. We didn't have DC then, but it was lovely and I always looked forward to the drive. The roads are really quiet if you leave early (around 8-9am after breakfast), and sometimes it snowed on the way. We always stopped at a service station on the way to open our presents and have a hot chocolate. The atmosphere is lovely as everyone is being kind and cheerful, everyone making the same trip for the same reasons! We spent the trip listening to Christmas songs on the radio. Haven't done it recently as DC are still very small but hoping to start again soon. Forgot the best bit- you get to your destination in time for lunch but don't have to do any of the prep work!

I know your oldest says she wants her stocking at home, but she IS only six; should she get to make the decision for all of you?

As a child I was packed up and driven to wherever my parents had decided to go for Christmas, holidays etc. I don't remember being sad or resentful about it and don't think it's permanently scarred me.

If it were me I'd travel to the relatives on Christmas Eve or the day before and have a nice relaxing Christmas Day not having to think about travelling anywhere.