To think Christmas Eve boxes are absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary?

[dressinggownwearer]

Just that really. Do children not get enough at Christmas without giving them even more the day before?! What are Christmas Eve boxes even for/full of that can't wait until Christmas Day?! Am I being mean and a grinch or do people agree?

YABU!! Your missing the point of a Christmas eve box, it's not just another Christmas gift to give on Christmas eve. It's just about building up the excitement for little ones, new pair of pyjamas a nice plate for Santa's mince pie, a 'magic' key (if you dont have a chimney), a little Santa stop here sign. Maybe even a colouring book and a small activity to do to keep them busy for an hour while you get some dinner prep done.

We also have hot chocolate set, marshmallows and a movie for the evening. We think it's a brilliant tradition and one we will carry on for as long as possible after all they're small for such a short period of time.

One of them genuinely though she was unloveable because Father Christmas didn't send an Elf on the Shelf to her house. It's fucking cruel. These things are not needed.

🙄

Honestly, of all the claptrap on this thread, you take the biscuit.

No it’s not ‘cruel’ anymore than any other fun, celebratory things parents do with their children are cruel.

What’s cruel is a world and system that leaves children so disadvantaged.

No you're NBU. It's just another thing to pressurise skint parents into doing. For kids to brag about at school to make the poorer kids feel pants and to make kids more mercenary than they already are.
But then I hate what has become the UK's "traditional" Christmas. It's all horribly commercialised and over indulgent.
Bah Humbug! 😂

One of them genuinely though she was unloveable because Father Christmas didn't send an Elf on the Shelf to her house. It's fucking cruel. These things are not needed.

Sorry but that's a stupid argument. The world is full of things that aren't needed but that some people have/do that others don't. Some people don't do the Father Christmas thing at all - does that mean nobody should be allowed to? Or that having Father Christmas is 'fucking cruel'? Don't be so bloody ridiculous!

This should be a vote! I agree with OP.

I think the whole expense of Christmas is unnecessary but we all do it. Re Christmas eve boxes its each to their own imo. My kids love their little box on Christmas eve although I don't go overboard filling it up I just do pjs, a festive activity book, some hot chocolate and a treat of some kind.

YABU because it's up to others how they chose to celebrate Christmas. They're not hurting you so what gives you the right to brand it ridiculous?

I've never done this but I wish I had.

There's nothing wrong with giving a nice Christmas box with a pair of fluffy pyjamas and a snack and then settling down to enjoy your evening together?

You asked the question so yeah, you are being a grinch.

It's not about the money or consumption, it's about spending time with your family in the way that brings you joy.

Mine have Christmas pyjamas, a hot chocolate with marshmallows and a Christmas dvd in, we get our pjs on, get the hot chocolate done and watch the dvd. Then off to bed, it's part of the tradition for us and sets the kids up to hopefully sleep!

’ No you're NBU. It's just another thing to pressurise skint parents into doing. For kids to brag about at school to make the poorer kids feel pants and to make kids more mercenary than they already are.,

You see this is exactly the reason why I think commercialising it has tainted a lovely tradition. Traditions are fantastic but they don’t need to be advertised and should be personal to the family.

Why do you care? The boxes we make have be meaningful and full of activities, chocolate coins and Fruit. It’s been a great way to diffuse the massive build up. Why do you care so much what other people do? Why do you feel so compelled to judge to this degree that you come to
Mumsnet? I think your time might be better spent finding ways to enjoy the Xmas period rather spreading your misery with judgement.

Yabu. I’m almost 40 and had a Christmas Eve basket as a child. I’ve continued this with my dd. The basket contains a Christmas film (old), Christmas jammies (new), hot chocolate, a candy cane (to stir said hot choc) the Santa plate (old) and usually a colouring book or activity.

The idea is for her to want to get into her jammies and get ready for bed. The film and colouring lower her excitement and aid sleep. And hot chocolate because it’s Christmas so why not?

My parents did it for the same reason and it always worked for us.

If you have a dc with a birthday on Christmas Eve, it's hard enough trying to keep it as a birthday only, try buying birthday wrapping paper past Oct or cards, so while nice idea to have xmas pjs early etc not going to work for us! Mind you don't mind giving the pjs with the advent calendars, that's prob a better way.

@PurBal Jehovah's Witnesses don't have birthday cake, so I hope you don't because otherwise it's fucking cruel to all those JW kids 🙄

Sorry OP but I did these when my DC were little (before they were the thing they are now) and it was great. Even now mine are much older, the Christmas Eve box is still very much a requisite / tradition.

For me it’s about tradition. Each to their own.

Christmas Eve boxes weren't a thing when my second youngest or her elder siblings were little, but even when I was little, my mum always let us open some new PJs on Christmas Eve, and we had a plate for Santa's mince pie, plus Twas The Night Before Christmas book. When I had my youngest children I kept this tradition going, and still with my youngest. But its not in a specific box, nor will I buy yet another thing for Christmas I then have to try to find a place in my tiny loft for! If you had Christmas traditions when you were younger that you loved, just try to recreate them with your own DC(s) instead of buying into the hype?

My Christmas Eve box has Christmas colouring and activities pack, new nightwear, bubble bath/bath bomb, hot chocolate and popcorn. The get it in the evening after dinner and it helps to calm them down. We the watch a movie before bed. It stopped my kids being too hyped up to sleep.

We have a local Father Christmas visit us in our garden every Xmas eve for charity donations. He walks past, waves and leaves the Xmas eve box at the door. I get an Xmas eve box ready for him to give to the children. Been doing this for the past 5 years. The box includes hot choc, a book, new Xmas pyjamas and socks and some Xmas choc. Kids loooove it.

My are all older teens and these weren't a thing when they were small. Same for Elf on the shelf. Every generation does its own traditions. I think what's hard is if a "thing" starts when you are in the middle of your child rearing as it seems a bit daft to you but then more and more people do it and you start feeling a bit mean. It was like that with Hallowe'en for us. It wasn't big in our area when I was small or really when our kids were tiny but has become more and more so over the years. Our kids felt they were missing out but DH in particular felt it was stupid and commercial and wanted nothing to do with it. I always felt awkward and uncomfortable and wanted it to go away. Still do a bit. When traditions are being established there's a period of time when some do them and some don't which is always a bit difficult as parents can feel forced into doing something they don't want to just so their kids don't feel left out.

Totally agree. I love Christmas but who really wants wanky matching pyjamas that you can only really wear at Christmas anyway. It's getting ridiculous, what with that and advent calendars that don't just have a bit of chocolate in them and elf on the shelf. Got a satsuma and some nuts in my day

@Yesterdayforgotten

’ No you're NBU. It's just another thing to pressurise skint parents into doing. For kids to brag about at school to make the poorer kids feel pants and to make kids more mercenary than they already are.,

You see this is exactly the reason why I think commercialising it has tainted a lovely tradition. Traditions are fantastic but they don’t need to be advertised and should be personal to the family.

Why does a tradition stop being personal to the family just because there was advertising for the stuff they needed to buy for it? Will your Christmas dinner be tainted by commercialism because the supermarket had some posters of its turkeys?

@Harls1969

Totally agree. I love Christmas but who really wants wanky matching pyjamas that you can only really wear at Christmas anyway. It's getting ridiculous, what with that and advent calendars that don't just have a bit of chocolate in them and elf on the shelf. Got a satsuma and some nuts in my day

Well, quite a lot of people, according to this thread, so why shouldn't they? And I wasn't aware you could only wear them at Christmas. Do they morph into something else on Boxing Day?

We're too busy having Christmas Eve dinner followed by church...

‘ Why does a tradition stop being personal to the family just because there was advertising for the stuff they needed to buy for it? Will your Christmas dinner be tainted by commercialism because the supermarket had some posters of its turkeys?’

No because it isn’t the same thing whatsoever and it is my opinion and sorry you don’t like it but thanks for that...

We like Xmas eve pjs dvd and sweet treats and a face mask ...adds to the excitement :)

Each to their own but I don't do Christmas Eve boxes. I'd rather give them all the goodies on Christmas Day. That way it looks like they're getting a lot more.