To write Christmas off

[Donkeykong2019]

Dd is 5, ds is 3.

So far this Christmas holidays we have had to:

Cancel Santa because DD couldn't cope with not knowing every detail in advance and kicked off.

Had an overnight admission for DS has tested positive for flu, has crackles and patches on his test and what sounds the start of group.

Dd woke today with discharge oozing from her ear which looks like an ear infection.

Have made zero preparations, not wrapped presents or food sipped yet. It's all gone Pete tong.

Please tell me 5 year old won't remember how awful this year has been?

Chest not test

Shopped not sipped

How about pizza and Xmas movies tomorrow with hot chocolate and just wrap the presents you have.

You poor soul. You just have to go with it this year
Hope the kids get better soon

Agree with pp. Pizza and movies. Wrap the pressies tonight and that's it.
Don't push it

OP, plaster a smile on your face and don't worry about anything else.

Eat whatever is easiest and just allow the children whatever they feel like.

Don't worry about wrapping.

It's one day.

Once you have a kind, loving smile on your face, even if you have to fake it, they won't remember a thing.

One year mine were all sick including my husband and I cancelled every arrangement to the house and all visiting.

I focused on it being as relaxed as possible and as easy as I could make it for ME. I gave the children as little or as much as they liked.

It ended up being a very easy Christmas.

It's only one day.

Focus on getting through it in one piece.
Everything else is just noise.

Wishing you the very best💐

She’ll remember you being kind of comforting. Nothing else will matter much at all.

Pretty sure Dominos are open tomorrow.

It's only a roast dinner. Who cares?

Pizza, movies and presents loose in bin bags. Santa must've been SO busy he had to drop them off like that.

Actually sounds like a pretty awesome Christmas.

My sister had German measles one Christmas when she was about 2 so I was 7. Know what we remember of that year? Nothing. There's pictures obviously but neither of us remember anything about the actual day.

Keep it easy and lots of Christmas films on the telly, it will be fine.

Calpol and heat pack over the ear help my DD and I when we get ear infections. No poking fingers or anything in the ear.

Sorry that it's all happened in one go though, typical! Do the essentials, but make it easy eg gifts in bags sellotaped shut rather than wrapped.

Promise a later big Treat Day and Keep It!

He will hopefully then remember the good time he had and less liekly to remember the crap few days before.

You will be able to buy stuff a lot cheaper too after the actual Day.

We had fishfingers and chips for Christmas dinner one year as it was mine and my brother's favourite meal. We remember it for that, not that we hadn't followed tradition, but that we had our best food! PJ/duvet/telly day is just as special as going all out with the 'traditions'.

You can still have a good Christmas.
You might be comparing yours to ‘perfect’ Christmas examples you’ve seen on the internet, but your young children won’t.

As long as Santa delivers 'something' wrapped or not the kids won't remember. They won't remember the food or lack of roast dinner. You could make that pizza special by making it candle lit if you've some candles to hand.

What they would remember is if they get up on Christmas morning to nothing.

Reschedule Christmas to say January or February when things have settled down, we had to when dh who was in the Royal Navy was crash drafted to join a ship in the Gulf.

My DS got chicken pox over Christmas when he was 6, he was itching and unhappy but doesn’t seem to remember how horrible he felt, so I think at 5 your DD won’t remember. Mine would be happier with pizza than a roast!

Christmas is just one day. I hate the build up and the pressure to be perfect.

We’re going to dparents tomorrow. Dd (4.5m) has a stinking cold and can’t clear her nose well so is sicking because she’s congested.

Ds has the ends of a cold.

I have the beginnings of one (sore throat hot and cold etc) and feel exhausted.

Ddad has the same.

Dm too.

We’re going round will all pitch in with food. Food will be on the table and we can just help ourselves. Quiet day. Probably a nap.

Ds is 2 and doesn’t really know what’s going on yes (he’s not expecting Christmas iyswim) Dd won’t care. The important thing is we’ll be together.

Ohh op bless that sounds awful just have a comfy day on sofa with the kids if you can have snacks and pizza and try and take it easy christmas is what you make of it rather than having the big fancy dinner I'm sure you can all have the Christmas dinner later on in the hols when everyone is feeling much better

Oh, I’ve never heard of quiet Santa, Is it a local charity?

Just have nice easy food, things you all like, whether that's takeaway or frozen from Iceland or whatever.

Watch films and cartoons, have blankets, hot chocolate, little presents. If they're ill they won't probably feel like doing anything much more energetic.

If they remember it they'll remember a lovely cosy day with Mum and/or it'll be a fond funny story to tell for years.

I know it's easy to say, but try not to sweat it and remember 'perfect Christmases' like in ads and films are not real life. The Christmas police won't come round and punish you for not doing it 'properly'.

We have had at least one Christmas like that. We all (5) of us had a horrible bug and the only thing we could muster to make was a single pizza between us all and we only picked at that. We just slept and watched tv all day. We had a big sit down dinner a week later at new year when we were feeling a bit better.

Just go with it this year trust me your 5 year old will not remember it as a bad Christmas they don’t care that much about the food and trimmings. Just grit your teeth and cheerfully get through the day as best you can and have a relaxing time.

Are they even aware when Christmas Day is or only when you tell them? If you have enough time off work I'd just move Christmas Day to a few days later?

have an easy day tomorrow,
blankets, films and easy nice food or pizza etc then do presents and a less stress meal in a few days.

We are having takeaway tomorrow- someone on here said they get a pizza delivery so I rang our local, they confirmed they are open so that is what we are having!
Very excited and hoping it’s a new stress free tradition in our house. Absolute genius and we aren’t ill, just lazy!

OP, I Sm the only person who remembers the Christmas 8 years ago where we were so skint that only DS (then 3) got a present, and then he was so ill we only had cheese sandwhiches for “dinner”. The dc don’t, DH doesn’t, but I assure you it happened! Just shows how much work mums put into expectations that are not really there.

Take care,enjoy your family. Christmas is such a hype as people feel forced to spend too much and buy too much. Have a lovely time together. Watch silly movies, eat lots popcorn and chocolate, put music on and dance . Light some candles -you never know it may be THE Christmas you always remember

I had gastric flu at Christmas when I was 17.Only year I've ever lost weight at Christmas!