to think Christmas is not 'really all about the children'

[Quipsandquotes]

A colleague said this earlier, I have seen it on a thread on here today, and a friend said it over the weekend.

AIBU to think Christmas is a time for family and friends, a time to celebrate the nativity story if you are religious, an opportunity for community to come together, a time when it's important to consider those who are lonely or bereaved or ill and might need a bit of extra care or empathy this year.

Yes, it's an exciting time for children and most of us have lovely memories of childhood Christmasses.

But people who go around stating that it's all about the children, or 'really only for kids' annoy me.

AIBU?

YANBU. Childfree here and we enjoy Christmas.

YANBU

Christmas is for everybody.

I agree with you.

YANBU Christmas is for family and friends.

Yanbu!!!

YANBU it is for everyone

Christmas is for the kids here. Otherwise we wouldn't bother!

There is such a small window of time when a child is old enough to understand christmas, but young enough to still believe in the magic of it. So yes I think it's totally fine to make Christmas mainly about children for this small time. You'll have many many years afterward to make Christmas about other people.

Christmas is imo a time to treasure what you have and help those without as much.
I have dc and we have gifts, not loads, but time together sharing food /jokes /games and such.
Giving to food banks /homeless and charity shops before Christmas is always important to us also.
Will still do Christmas when they have left home - and likely be on mn complaining they aren't coming/too many coming!

It's all about children IF you have children. Otherwise YANBU!

YANBU! I've just bought myself a snowflake window light, I've been eating Christmas snacks since they appeared in the shops, I've started on present buying. I had a turkey and stuffing sandwich last week!

I do know what you mean OP but would tend to disagree: we're not religious, so before DS Christmas was just about having a few days off together and vegging out with nice food. No more, no less. Each to their own though, of course.

Childfree and obsessed with Christmas here.

I find the 'it's all about the children' attitude depressing as it tends to go with 'it's all about buying cheap plastic tat'.

WeeBeasties DD 11 now loves being part of the magic of Christmas. She wraps DS2's presents, puts them in his stocking and puts it at the end of his bed.

YANBU of course Christmas is for everyone BUT if you have children, it is all about the children 😉 When I was child free it was all about the Christmas parties, pubs and presents!

Christmas is about being 'half way out of the dark'. It's about family, food, drink, a rest from work and making the most of each other.

No cheap plastic tat here! But if i didn't have kids christmas wouldn't be a big thing in our house. Just a day off to veg & eat junk 😂

I understand that for some people their Christmas is mainly focussed on their children. But it's people who make blanket statements about Christmas being 'all about the children' who annoy me. It's as if people without children or grandchildren really have no reason to enjoy or celebrate what is for many a really special and nostalgic (and for some also religious) time of year.

'It's all about children IF you have children'

Exactly. Lots of us don't have children, and can feel a bit miffed / left out by all the smugness about children and Christmas

A colleague said this earlier, I have seen it on a thread on here today, and a friend said it over the weekend.

Surely the people who say that are colleagues trying to guilt-trip you into swapping shifts with them over the festive season?

I think people say it because it's not about the parents. When you are hosting Christmas and have small kids to look after then it's just expensive and hard work. I use to love Christmas, then I had kids!

Having said that I've got 12 people staying this Christmas, I'm happy to do it for MIL because it's her first Xmas without FIL and all of DHs family will be with us so hopefully she will enjoy having her whole family with her but in a different setting. So this year is less about the kids but hopefully they will enjoy having their relatives all here.

I have a DS and Christmas still isn't all about children. I love Christmas and enjoy it so much as an adult including the planning. I don't make much more of an effort now I have DS because I planned magical Christmases before he arrived.

I have no young children left anymore and I'm really excited about Christmas with nobody buying my kids plastic tat anymore. It's going to be great now my youngest is 13 and suddenly left the kid stage behind, finally I get to have grown up christmas'

For us it's all for the children. We are Christian and go church but I like to have a children orientated Christmas because unlike the adults of the family the children are happy with whatever they get and don't look up the price tag online...

I'm irritated too when people say this
YANBU