Driving 102 miles to a destination one day over due.

[WhatAnAbsolutePenis]

And then of course 102 miles hole again.

I'm pregnant and due on Christmas Eve. My Dad is having Christmas at his with my brothers and all their kids and they make it into a huge magical deal that the kids love and the adults have a great time at.

I'm bound to go over due and I want to go.

DH says no. Not because he's worried about the baby coming, but because he wants to use the baby's due date as an excuse to stay home and not see family this year (if we never saw family he would be happy, his own included) or travel anywhere.

I say that being stuck in with two kids arguing over Christmas will be hell, and the kids will be missing out on an amazing day.

Logistically I would pack a bag, and if I went into labour that day then we would have childcare on tap.

Who is BU?

I agree with the others. Your eldest is 12. How old is your youngest? Could they go for christmas by themselves and your brother collect them / your dad take them?

I presume your dh will be organising Christmas, cooking dinner, decorating the house etc....

(Personally I'd go...)

YABU

Because there is a Christmas thread.

Which I hide. I don't need to see the word until at least December.

Thank you.

If it's just the family DH needn't cook a full on Xmas dinner. Bought stuffing, prepared veg, easy pudding etc. The kids won't care!

I have two children who will be bored out of their minds and be arguing and there will be nothing quiet about it.

Regardless of anything else, I find this a bit sad . Why do you need to go somewhere else to enjoy Christmas? Mine never argued on Christmas Day - it's the best day of the year!

Ok, movies, board games and some kind of roast that DH concocts.
Maybe a walk to the duck pond (when the ducks are gone and we always end up feeding the carp instead). Perhaps that can weedle away a day.

Well, thanks for shaking sense into me (even if I think you're all wrong! 😂😂).

I'm astounded you have kids who ill be bored...on Christmas Day.

I think you should give your DH a chance at his kind of Christmas

Could dh not drive the kids up there? And then come back.

Honestly OP, you seem determined that Christmas at home will Be shit!

Start planning now, you can get loads of stuff together and make a fun filled Christmas break for all of you. Sign up to local attraction alerts - our local park does winter bird watching walks on Boxing Day for instance.
Save your loose change for the next few months and get some craft packs off eBay.
Store up some family films.
Go to charity shop and get a load of board games, make up a tournament wall chart and play a game a day with the eventual winner getting to choose where to eat out on last day of hols.
Get your dinner ready made from supermarket.
Get the dc to help wrap gifts in the run up to Big Day.
Reward chart for bad behaviour, bickering, etc.
Get a big project that'll take a few days to complete - jigsaw, lego build, scrap book, pulling all your photos together to make up photo books etc.

Sorry you might miss out though OP, but you will be busy preparing for your own little christmas moment of joy so it will be good.

Plus you do realize by posting this you’ve just tempted fate and you’ll go into labour early or on Christmas Eve?!

Cherubfish is that's computer stuff?
If it doesn't involve scooters and being outside I'm not sure he will be interested.
I will look into it though.

And I'm going to splash out on some brand new board games ready for Christmas Day.

Footballmum that would be lovely!!

Surely there are some family that could take the DCs to stay at your Dads - or at least meet them at a railway station?

If not - why not book a local hotel/restaurant for the lunch so neither of you have to cook?

Why are you so sure that you will be overdue? I was sure my second was going to be early - had a really strong feeling, so was really put out when she was 12 days overdue. You can't predict these things.

Also, it's possible that it will be a quicker birth being your third - what if you are on the road (in bad weather) when it starts?

What if you end up needing a C section, or baby needs special care and you are stuck miles away from home? Presumably DH will/DCs will need to go back to school etc.

I think it is very sad that you do not think that your DC will have a fun Christmas at home. Yes - it will be different, but surely it can be fun too?

I do not get how Christmas with your DH and 2 children will be boring? Christmas has always been me and my 2 over the years and it has always been fun and special, make sure you play lots of board games, watch Christmas movies etc, it is lots of fun and always memorable. Mine never wanted to leave their own home at Christmas and visit anyone.

Sorry but I'm with your DH on this one. Far too risky. You don't want to give birth on the motorway
I was convinced I'd be overdue with my second. DH had been invited to a football match 3 days before my due date. It was a really amazing opportunity for him as tickets for this type of match are really hard to get hold of and his friend had managed to get some. I told him to go but he refused because it was so close to due date and he would have been 2hrs away. Baby was born on that day and in just under 2 hours

Usually, later (as in second or third) labours are much quicker, when the baby comes it comes and you can't really stop it, whether in the car or at your dads.

I'm with you OP, I can do a day at home anytime of the year, I love family Christmas and I would go as long as I was feeling up to it.

OP I was a week or more overdue with DC1 and DC2 but early with DC3!

I can see you are disappointed not to be going to your dads and I get why but it’s really not sensible to be travelling so far if you are overdue and/or as others have said with a newborn.

So this will be a different Christmas.

Order from M&S or Sainsbury’s. It will all just need heating and serving up.

We usually play a board game while dinner is cooking. So maybe get a couple as presents for the DCs. Exploding Kitttens is supposed to,be good. I like a big jigsaw but DS and DH laugh at me. Some books. Lots of chocolates. Movies. Popcorn. Nice Christmas snacks.

Raspberry Pi is a computer you build I think. Not 100%sure on that!

WhatAnAbsolutePenis
I agree with you Christmas at ur dads sounds amazing!
your DH sounds like mine!!

Unfortunately another family helping isn't feesible.

When I was 19, I was the one who upped stocks and moved away and stayed away. They all stayed put or moved further in the opposite direction.

To ask a family member the take the kids when they have their own children to contend with (in fact they wouldn't even fit in the car) would be asking them to do way way more than the 204 mike trip that we would be doing.

And whoever suggested DH take the kids and come back, what a blizzard suggestion.
DH would end up driving over 400 miles, he doesn't even want to drive for half that! Let alone double it up and leave me for double the time. That makes absolutely zero sense.

Unfortunately trains are a no-go, I know this from previous years when I've tried to get trains around Christmas time. There are so few trains that it makes it impossible to go such a journey.

Omg booking a hotel or something is bloody genius!!! Thanks to who suggested that.
If we started saving now, we could do it.

What an amazing suggestion, I'm going to text DH now.

Frankly, I'd do it. Go.

Aw op I understand - I love my DM's big family Christmases but DH tolerates them.
I would sit everyone down and say 'we're not going this year so what can we do to make this Christmas a good one?'. Get them involved in the planning. Are there any elements of your dad's Christmas that you can include?