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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To HATE the whole idea of Christmas Eve boxes

400 replies

TeeJay1970 · 16/12/2018 19:40

Don't kids get enough stuff on the 25th?

My nephews and niece now think it's their right to have gifts on the 24th as well.

Where does it end?

Yes I know AIBU!
Yes it's probably been done on here already in the last few weeks!

OP posts:
RebelWitchFace · 16/12/2018 22:00

So how long are your children wearing too short pajamas for because you are "timing them"

They don't. I buy her winter pyjamas in a size up. Same with the xmas eve pyjamas which are not christmasy at all so they can be worn whenever. Some last a year or two(we had one pair for 3 😬 ) some don't.

Notthecarwashagain · 16/12/2018 22:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tryinganewname · 16/12/2018 22:05

Well my 5 month old has got one.. AND I LOVE IT.

Obviously doesn't have much in.. pair of pyjamas, a dressing gown and the night before Christmas book.

MissyCooper · 16/12/2018 22:05

See I don’t put sweets or hot chocolate kn because I have to peel DD1 off the ceiling if she has chocolate. If she eats it before bed she will be up till like 10pm. Does no one else have this issue?!

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 16/12/2018 22:07

missy

Mine are nearly 20, nearly 17 and 15

So no

I dont think we had the problem in the past either

They were all early to bed...but ds1 was usually so excited he couldn't sleep (he is still the same)

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 16/12/2018 22:08

Cute photo not

Summerisdone · 16/12/2018 22:10

I can't hate the idea of them, but I do understand where you're coming from when I hear what some people put in them.

The idea of how it should work though isn't really much different to what my mum always did for me and my sisters: a new pair of PJs to wear, a couple of treats to eat and a new movie to watch, these were all apart of what she had budgeted on Christmas presents just let us have them a day early as we would always have a quiet cosy night watching the new movie before an early night ready for Christmas. It was always just the one movie between us all though.

I now carry on this tradition with my DS (though I've not bothered to buy a box for all the stuff), we both wear new PJs, make hot chocolate and have our favourite food treats, but now I'll either buy a movie off iTunes or watch one on Netflix/Now TV, then he'll have an early night ready for Santa to come.

Original poster
TeeJay1970 · 16/12/2018 22:10

Hi 70isa...

I undetstand what you mean about. It's a waste emotion.

For the record I really REALLY FUCKING HATE this whole idea.

Not the car...
Doez he only smile when you buy him stuff?

Mummies posting pics is theBIGGEST reason I hate it - there are many others. As far as I'm concerned this is how the Nazis started.

OP posts:
Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 16/12/2018 22:12

As far as I'm concerned this is how the Nazis started

Errrmmmmm

Okay

Notthecarwashagain · 16/12/2018 22:17

Haha no he doesn't.
He has autism and got very excited at a piece of gold coloured plastic he found on the floor the other day. He's not materialistic if that's what you're hinting heavily at.

I don't put the pictures on facebook either. Nor pics of my tree, or any other decorations.
Sorry!

Original poster
TeeJay1970 · 16/12/2018 22:17

Elf on the shelf
Christmas Eve Box
Poland

There's a clear pattern

OP posts:
Notthecarwashagain · 16/12/2018 22:18

Thanks Rufus Xmas Smile

lazymare · 16/12/2018 22:25

DS's Christmas Eve onesie has skulls on it this year. Definitely for all year round.

He11y · 16/12/2018 22:32

Like others on here, we kind of did this before it was a thing, but we’ve never had a box for it. New PJs, a DVD (and a teddy when they were younger) have always been put to one side or wrapped in different paper, as they are to be opened Christmas Eve. We have hot chocolate too but that’s not a gift. We still do it now they’re grown up and id have a mutiny on my hands if I tried telling them it’s not happening!

I don’t see the point in a box full of gifts but I can’t say it bothers me that others do that. I do like seeing elves getting up to mischief and I’m sure I’d have done that if they’d been around when my children were young. Grin

It’s harmless - enjoy what you do and let others do their thing.

Kikithewitch · 16/12/2018 22:32

This year our onesies are Harry Potter, pikachu and chewbaca. Not exactly Christmasmassy!

CheshireChat · 16/12/2018 22:34

TeeJay1970 put the bottle down and step away from the wine.

ToffeePennie · 16/12/2018 22:36

I have a German heritage and when we lived there, Christmas Eve was just as important as Christmas Day. Me and my brother used to get a book, and a special bauble or trinket to hang on the tree. Then the adults would pick one gift each from under the tree and it would always be really lovely, reading until bedtime.
I follow the same tradition with my children because it’s part of my heritage, it’s how I grew up and it’s what I’ve known for 30 years. This isn’t a Christmas Eve box, but it’s a lovely Germanic tradition. This year my boys are getting personalised pjs and a personalised bauble each for our tree. When they are old enough, they will take their baubles for their own Christmas trees (like I have done with mine) and it’s just a lovely custom.
Im not so keen on the idea of Christmas Eve boxes it seems like an amalgamation of different cultures Christmas Eve traditions and not one person who does it has actually bothered to look into the various traditions they are blindly following.

PerverseConverse · 16/12/2018 22:36

I don't do a box but did the first year then the boxes got damaged so I got them a Christmas themed gift bag each instead. Pjs (which they all need so not an extra purchase), big packet of crisps, and a bag of favourite sweets or chocolate like mars bites. I used to buy DVDs but we've already got loads of Christmas ones so we just choose an old favourite from the cupboard. It's nice to have the new pjs Christmas Eve so they have them on for Christmas present opening photos in the morning (although I take less photos now and just enjoying watching them open them). I'd buy the crisps too so not extra, I just put them in their bags instead. I've been using the same bags for about 3 years now and will keep reusing them each year.
Some people will always go overboard on things but that's up to them. I'm not one for mass consumerism and this is something that could easily get silly.

Childrenofthesun · 16/12/2018 22:39

My DC get new pyjamas at Christmas time. They go under the tree with all the other gifts. I don't see the point in having to have something to open when they've got all the excitement of present opening the next day. But each to their own. We have our Xmas Eve traditions that some people would probably think were pointless.

IMO, a much more annoying trend than Xmas Eve boxes is people artfully arranging all their/their DCs gifts after they are opened and then post them all over social media. Bragging much?

DinoDave · 16/12/2018 22:41

I agree op.

We’ve always had new PJs on Xmas Eve...that’s it though. But like a pp, I buy them at Xmas only. My older 2 ds’s sleep in mainly boxers and have done for years so I think the only PJs they own are the ones they’ve had at Xmas 😮

I can’t abide the thought of them having even a small box of stuff to open and definitely not unwrap! Half of the fun of Xmas is the wait, I would hate to water it down by having stuff on Xmas Eve.

sodthediettischristmas · 16/12/2018 22:43

When mine were little (teenagers now), while they were in the bath the "elves" would visit and leave new PJs (not Christmassy and eventually changed to onesies when they became popular) and slippers. We did start off with dressing gowns as well but they never wore them.

I don't think I'd go so far as a box though.

RebelWitchFace · 16/12/2018 22:45

Does no one else have this issue?!

Nope. But that's because I ruined DD with too many sweets and chocolate so she's immune to it.

MysweetAudrina · 16/12/2018 22:47

Another one doing it for years. This year a liverpool and man u onesie. Lush bath bombs and really cool hot chocolate with a cookie on a stick.

I love Christmas eve it's my favourite day of the year. I have the same photo of them every year in their new pyjamas sitting at the fireplace with their stockings hung behind them just before they go to bed.

Ky kids have about 10 pairs of pyjamas each. They last years. I buy them before Christmas and before holidays.

It's up to each parent to decide their own traditions and tbh I have no idea what other people do or don't do. Once kids are being loved and feel cherished and wanted then does it really matter when their pyjamas are bought for them or if they are given a treat on xmas eve.

yumyumpoppycat · 16/12/2018 22:48

similar to others we don't have a box, but new pjs pretty much every year for the last 8 or so, left on their pillow wrapped in tissue. I nearly always let them choose a new tree ornament each or a new star/angel for the tree to hang on christmas eve, although on one or two years I have picked baubles and put them in with the PJs, sometimes there is a christmas book and once or twice hot chocolate or a christmasy magazine. It is a tradition for us - christmas eve is my favourite part of christmas and I enjoy giving these things probably more than they even like receiving them, but also new pjs are more appreciated on christmas eve than they would be on christmas morning

Purpleartichoke · 16/12/2018 22:52

I was very anti-presents on Xmas eve, but acquiesced because it makes it easier in everyone’s lives to do presents with DH’s family on Xmas eve.

Doubt I would agree to it otherwise. We do something similar to an Xmas eve box on December 1st. That is when Dd gets Christmas pajamas and we drink cocoa. It makes more sense to me to get the holiday themed pjs early, even though she does wear them all winter.