To say actually having children at Christmas does not make it a 'magical' time?

[GlitteringJasper]

I'm not going to win Mother of the Year, ever, but definitely not for this post I know.

I've a 1 and 2.11 year old and while there have been some nice elements of Christmas actually there were none most of it was flipping horrendous and hard work.

Not helped by the fact that I've had 6 weeks of them being sick with one thing and another. Both of them have horrendous coughs, no treatment required according to GP, but I'm getting no sleep as I'm worrying about them coughing in their sleep and choking.

AIBU to say I miss my old Christmases? The ones where I could watch what I wanted on to, eat and drink what I wanted, lounge about?

Christmas Day was all about dragging my two to grandparents, they were raging as we were late and after it all my son wouldn't eat anything anyway as he wasn't feeling well.

Particularly my eldest child I find needs constant entertaining, never happy to sot and play by himself, he is extremely demanding. Both dh and I feel we never get a minutes peace.

So for us Christmas was just another day with all this pressure to make it magical and truth be told it was just another day.

I love my little children dearly but they are hard, hard work, harder than I ever anticipated. AIBU?

Does it get easier when they are older?!

I love it and would say it's magical as my 2.9 year old believed the "magic" that is Father Christmas and was most fascinated by how the carrot disappeared overnight.

I adore christmas though and even before the kids would get way too excited so I've really enjoyed hyping dd1 up.

Dd2 is only 10 months so didn't get it at all but it was nice to take her to a few parties.

I can't say it was easy all the time though, it was loud and chaotic at times and I've been glad to get to 6.30pm every night so they can go to bed and dh & I can have a drink and watch what we want.

I think it's easy to think others have perfect amazing christmasses and expect too much from our own which only leads to disappointment.

My dc's are 5 and 7. They are bloody ungrateful for what they received this Christmas. My eldest is really hard work. She has attention deficit issues and cannot go a day without demanding things constantly. It's been horrendously hard work coupled with a Disney dad who enjoy them staying up till late.

As my kids have got older, Xmas has only got harder and harder.

Sounds pretty standard, I spent Christmas night trying to get a fancy dress outfit off a raging screaming toddler- it was not fun. Christmas day was my due date and I honestly have had fantasies about going into labour so I don't have to look after her by myself while being this fecking preggas anymore!

By the time they get to 4/5 you'll be able to make it really magical with pantos and letters to Santa ect. It's just a waiting game