to have just had the most awful, terrible, heart-rending realisation?

[HookedOnTurkey]

At some point in the not-so-distant future my babies might not want to be with me at Christmas.

What will happen to me?

All dried up and unneeded.

I mean, Apart from the luxurious cruises I plan on taking.

What happens if they decided to go to an in-laws rather than home?

And what is this [santa]?

Um, put your feet up and enjoy!

[santa] Dalmatian's balls at Xmas

Also considering D2 who is unlikely to ever leave home (AS and bone idle).

[Fdriedupoldhusk]

Take a lover?

Dried up?

I guess you accept it will happen and hope you get every other year or at least have one child with you if you have several.

My mum and dad are spending it alone despite having been invited. We are all piling round Boxing Day. They seem happy with the arrangement.
But if I was alone I think I'd splash out on a nice restaurant for two and some film and wine and chocs for the evening. Or a holiday.

I'd like a liver for Christmas. I'll get DH one too. Then he won't feel all unneded either.

Dried up. Breasts all shriveled. Uterus all barren and saggy like a deflated spare tyre.

A husk.

Had to laugh at your Christmas liver - were you really planning on drinking that much?
Seriously, though, just wait until the grandchildren come along. Even better than children!

I suspect I could do with a new liver rather more than a lover.

[santa]

Make the most of it op, they'll boomerang back at convenient and not so convenient times

I felt like that for a while 10 years ago, never since!

I think the idea is that you're supposed to start going to your dc's once they've flown the nest, that's certainly what I intend to do.

[santa] I thought it was festive toilet paper.

I'm rather looking forward to going on holiday every Christmas... My only concern is that the kids will say they don't want to come to ours, then change their minds and be all wistful and hard done by after we've booked and paid for the winter sun holiday...

Years off though, given the eldest hasn't quite hit her teens and the youngest is not quite 5, going to have to pretend to be a Christmas fan for at least another 12 years I imagine [santa]

We all go to PIL for Christmas day itself though - every year. My parents have a strict timetable for the day which must not be strayed from and would make us go to multiple church services , whereas MIL cooks for us, won't let us help except with clearing up after, and FIL keeps the glasses topped up and BIL takes the kids for a post Christmas hike walk while we laze in front of the fire after lunch - that's how to "win Christmas" mothers of boys [santa] ...

DD is never leaving home. She told me so.

She's marrying 4 if the boys in her class and her 3 best friends and 2 boys I look after and the 3 boys next door and they are all living with us. And the boys are staying at home to look after the babies.

So my only worry is fitting them all in because we aren't allowed to move house either. She mentioned bunk beds and hammocks...

I am spending my first Christmas day away from my parents' this year (at in laws). I already feel terribly guilty about it and this has just made me feel AWFUL.

I am 27. I'm not sure it's ever about "not wanting" to be with someone. Wah.

I feel your pain op. I am the mother of 2 boys and MN wisdom dictates that I am forbidden from interfering in their lives past the age of 18 (although I must have taught them how to clean, sew, drive, make a meal plan and cook sumptuous meals on a budget [with the money that they conscientiously save from their earnings] by that point).

Thankfully they're only 3.5 and 4.6 so I have a few years to go......

...OP, and maybe you will be fine with that, as it means you can do a fabulous trips or party with friends or do something else exciting.

The one thing I don't want is bearing on my DC too much, let them be free and I will be free too, whilst (trying to) enjoy my freedom to the max

at least you will want to be with your dc

my parents don't bother with us at all at Christmas ...my dc don't understand why they don't see their grandparents

At some point in the not-so-distant future my babies might not want to be with me at Christmas.

No and won't it be wonderful to have freedom?

Although my mum will probably still want to celebrate with me even if ds doesn't. So I might not be able to go off on an expensive holiday at Christmas after all...

So, I guess you could just be happy that you actually have children! Or think about how people without them might feel!