To not tell my children it's Christmas eve?

[MamaHechtick]

I have this idea, that for this year we won't tell DC's it's Christmas Eve. We don't do Christmas Eve boxes and they are usually disinterested in their advent calendars by mid December so don't really countdown as such. They will be 5 and 6.

My idea is they will get a good night's sleep, and I'm thinking that waking them up early and telling them it's Christmas morning will be a far bigger and exciting surprise.

Would I be unreasonable or mean for doing this? I think it's the only year we'd get away with it. We don't have any plans for Christmas Eve except a fairly quiet day with just us at home. Friends I've briefly discussed this with seem a bit off with it.

Its mean.
I absolutely loved Christmas Eve as a child (still do). We went to church, got to stay up late watching a Christmas film, had new pjs and had hot chocolate. It was magical going to bed on Christmas Eve listening out for Santa.

I'm in the 'I think it's mean camp'. I'm fairly Scrooge like when it comes to Christmas but even I enjoy Christmas Eve

That being said they're your dc & you know them best so if you think it'll be more exciting try it! If it doesn't work lesson learned for next year. They'll always be able to tell their own dc about the year Granny decided not to tell them until the day. It might become a family legend

The anticipation is most of the fun so I wouldn't do it.

What a horrible idea. Talk about take away all the magic and excitement of Christmas, leaving out a pie for Santa and going to sleep knowing it’ll be Christmas Day when you wake up. It’s just mean!

We did this with our two when they were young as they have mild ASD so easily got over exited. They got a good night's sleep and even now have never woken up early -16 and 14. We put their Santa sacks either side of the fire so no need for us to creep into their rooms. Worked really well for us.

I don’t understand your logic? The whole point in Christmas for the kids is the build up to Xmas eve and Father Christmas coming. He’s going to be pretty pissed off when he gets to your house and there’s no mince pie or whisky and rudolf is parched. I can’t believe you’d take away the magic of Xmas eve in favour of a good nights sleep. They can sleep the rest of the hols if they’re tired!! Don’t be mean.

Noooooooo! Christmas Eve is the best bit of Christmas. I loved the excitement and anticipation as a child, it felt magical. I'm now grown up with a grown up DS and I STILL love it.

Don't deprive them of that please.

I can sort of see where you're coming from - it would be one hell of a surprise to discover the presents when you weren't actually expecting them.

However, I still remember the excitement of going to bed on Christmas Eve knowing it would be Christmas Day tomorrow. I wouldn't do it

Christmas morning is exciting anyway when you're that age, you don't need to make it a surprise by taking away the excitement of Christmas Eve!

I don't think it's mean at all, you can keep it low key and if they pick up on the fact it's christmas eve anyway and are excited then it's taken out of your hands. You do risk the older one being disappointed they didn't get a chance to have done things like putting their stocking out and a carrot for rudolph. I also love christmas eve the best! We have loads of daft traditions including going outside with sparklers and writing santa's name in the dark have been using the same pack we got for a pound for years!

No way would that work with my 5/almost 6 year old. 1) He'll have an advent calendar 2) School breaks off on the 21st and I can guarantee that he'll know coming away from school how many sleeps are left between the 21st and the 25th.

I also think that at this age - prime Santa age - it might actually a bit too much of a surprise waking up to Christmas. Depending on the child it could overwhelm them, which isn't what you want.

I agree with everyone else. Christmas Eve is the exciting bit and I can't believe your DC won't know the date. I think you'll find they are counting down the days from the end of school.

I know someone who when the kids were wee and misbehaving before Christmas told them it was Christmas Eve on the 23rd so when they woke up there was nothing there for them - that’s mean!

The thing is xmas is based on tradition. So it takes a couple of years for them to settle into whatever tradition your Christmas follows, and it then becomes a comforting routine and creates that everlasting memory. As an adult when you do this stuff with your kid its like continuing an age old history that you did as a kid and those before you did as a kid.
I’m not sure I’ve explained it very well, but for example me and DD get up at 5.30am on xmas eve and go and do a supermarket shop for the last minute bits and then bring home mac Donald’s breakfast for everyone. The first couple of years I did it because I didn’t want to drag small kids to the supermarket with me and needed to before DH went to work (and I worked late evenings do cohldnt do it then) DD wanted to come so I woke her up and was very surprised she jumped out of bed!!
Anyway even though kids are a bit older, jobs have changed etc it’s become our tradition and DD was very disappointed last year as we were at MILs so didn’t do it!!!

No way! I get the attraction of the idea- if they don't know, they won't lay awake for hours too excited to sleep, making me stay up really late waiting for them to sleep so I can put the gifts under the tree 😂

I could honestly never do this. The excitement and build up is better than the actual day!!

How on Earth would you do that? Surely your children would know this?

Build up is better than the reality, everyone knows that!

I don't understand this obsession with a "Christmas Eve thing". Has the Nativity been rewritten so that rather than traipsing to Bethlehem on a donkey and finding that there was no room as the Inn, Mary & Joseph went to Primark to buy new pyjamas, the Innkeeper made them a hot choc with marshmallows on top and they all settled down to watch Santa Paws the Movie?

I think it’s a great idea and probably more exciting on the day. Seeing that their reaction wasnt that great last year I would see what their reaction is when it’s a total surprise. Obviously when they are older they would realise when it is Xmas eve so why not try this year?

Do they live in a vacuum? At 5 and 6 they will know it's Christmas Eve and just wonder why you are being so humbug about it

This is beyond weird

Don't do it, it's weird, joyless and utterly ridiculous

if they were 3 and 4 and were just getting grumpy as overexcited i could understand it - do they get really overexcited and grumpy? Can't imagine you getting away with it!

Surely they would know it's xmas eve? Kids aren't completely stupid

I would be really worried about them if they hadn't realised it's Christmas Eve.

Just don't force anything. See whether they are getting excited and if yes, do nice evening stuff, if not, just don't.

Like I say I'm only going off of last year when admittedly they were younger. And only one was at school. And even though my dd was at school she still didn't seem fussed or excited and once at home seemed to lose the countdown. Despite us also have a countdown to Christmas chalkboard.
I'm honestly not being a Scrooge I just thought it may be exciting for them, but as suggested I will attempt again to build up Christmas Eve. I'm only thinking of them, my excitement is immense, and I didn't have any traditions as a child or a Christmas Eve as my parents were separated so Christmas Eve was with one of them as a Christmas day.