No one is ever to old for a Christmas Eve box??

[spidermomma]

Dh things my DSS are to old for a Christmas Eve box?
They are like my big helpful baby's their 20 and 17, one DSs has been staying with his mum past few weeks and the other with his GF but both said they want to be here over Xmas and want their Xmas Eve box's like the kids (my youngest 3)
I'm so glad they want to be here over Xmas and I love the fact they will always want the box's no matter. How old they get lol dh says their to old, but your never to old right ??
Also any ideas what to add in them
Going to do one big box save getting 5, all new pjs, mugs, books, bath bombs and some goodies an then teddy's (yes they love them to) 🤣

I’ve just never called it a ‘Christmas Eve Box’

Same

Its not in a box for a start

Never too old.

Our lives need more whimsy now more than ever.

I'd never heard of Xmas Eve boxes until last year. Sorry, but I think they're ridiculous; doubly so for adults. Maybe you could think up a new (preferably grown up) tradition for Xmas Eve instead.

@autumnkate

Am I reading this right?

A 20 year old man wants a Christmas teddy?

An item of lingerie?

Nooo, box each definitely - or big christmas gift bags, which we've done recently. But a shared one isn't as personal imo.

I think people who go way over the top with this kind of stuff are not really doing it for the adult children. Be honest, you’re doing it for yourself, which is fine of course. I’m sure at that age they’d rather be making merry with their mates!

I'm not so sure about this. I don't go over the top, and I haven't ever done Christmas Eve boxes as such - although it's a family tradition of ours that my DC's open their presents from my DM around 6pm on xmas eve, so maybe that's a similar thing? It's always the same routine - pyjamas, some chocolate, and a xmas film - and they all love this part of it.
I really don't understand your thinking about them preferring to be with their friends. My eldest two are desperate to get home for xmas, and there's zero pressure from me to do so. They crave the family traditions every year, and they'll be welcome to join in here for as long as they want to.

I do a xmas stocking from Santa for the younger two, so i do them for the older two as well. They all say it's the best part of the day!

We have a communal box too which I just put new pjs and hot chocolate in. If your DC want to partake then go for it. Where’s the harm?

Oh here we go
Pjs
DVD(do people still use them)
Hot choc. Not hot chocolate but hot choc.

Never heard of Christmas Eve boxes until Mumsnet

I seem to remember a poster last year away to do an advent box.

@JockTamsonsBairns I agree ! I just think they love the little tradition that's been around since iv been here (few years now) and they love that little home comfort. Don't at all do it for myself because it costs me more money to do it and they get enough but they want one so they get one. My mum still buys me pjs for Christmas and that is the thing I look forward to and she knows it so I get them and then a small gift from my parents still....

It's just family traditions I suppose and not everyone is in to them and that's your choice I'm just glad they want to come home for Christmas and still do those things with us and join in not like older kids these days who would rather go out drinking or been on games etc

The idea of a big Christmas chest type of thing was to wrap everyone's pjs individually, a game for everyone to play, a book each and a cup each then the teddy's, they are just year teddy's for a keep sake really or a mini snow globe with the year we can put on display. not a cuddly teddy unlike the younger kids....

But I think I might just go with the small Christmas Eve box each and then wrap the game so they all have their own then one for them all to share !
Thanks to those who didn't just moan, was only a light hearted one guys! It's Christmas don't be so grim it's bad enough with the current pandemic! Try be merry xx

[quote inappropriateraspberry]@00100001 But they never were her babies, they're her stepchildren! I'm all for Xmas stockings etc but I think a box could be done in a more age appropriate way. Teddies and hot chocolate? [/quote]
Well that's not kind, for all you know she might have raised them with DH from when they were wee. And she is their mother in all other senses.

Otherwise, that means parents of children that are donor conceived don't have their own babies... Harsh

At their age I spent very merry Christmas Eves in the pub with my mates, so no I wouldn't have wanted a Christmas Eve box. I suppose that's unwise at best, probably unlikely to happen at all this year, so if you want to go ahead.

My mum used to do me a stocking until I was in my 20s, just little bits and bobs she found throughout the year. She still gives be a few 'stocking presents' now, though says it's hard to find small things for 40 year olds

Will pull up my chair and patiently wait for a sneery eyerolling comment about Christmas Eve boxes being another stupid "American" tradition--which is absolute bollocks because never in my life have I heard of this practice outside Mumsnet-dom.

Nobody needs a Christmas Eve box, it's just another excuse to buy stuff.

It sounds lovely, @spidermomma. Ignore your DP.

@cardibach

I’m surprised that at 20 he ever had a Christmas Eve box as a child. My DD is 24 and it wasn’t a thing when she was small - or for some time after. Christmas stockings - no, never too old. Christmas Eve boxes? Don’t get them at all, to be honest.

My eldest is 20 and I was doing Xmas parcels (not boxes as such) from about 5yo. Always put in pj's, dvd and sweets so they would settle early in front of the tv. My DM (when I wasn't NC with her!) always bought them a new duvet set each. We had a 'Christmas Day' with her on Christmas Eve so they had new bedding ready for Santa!

@spidermomma I love your traditions and I love ours too. I make a big deal of advent (tiny surprise gift each day) and also the Xmas Eve box with PJ’s etc. DD says the run up to Xmas is better than the day itself and her joy at that makes it all worthwhile.

No-one is too old or too young for a Christmas Eve box. In my opinion this is an attempt at getting people to spend more over Christmas and the general trend of trying to extend a one-day celebration into several days.

@inappropriateraspberry @00100001
I did raise them from the day I met their dad and we became serious I was the one who took them to school, got their uniforms, fed them and clothes them and cared for them when they was ill. She was very absent for years up until the past year
I sat in a and e with one for 9 hours when he was ill one year and he got out onto a ward etc 3 days later she TEXT!! We are so close and I'm so greatful for that, I'd never treat them any different to the kids I have birth to

TBH I don't understand why so many mumsnetters make such a big thing of hot chocolate. I can't get excited about a hot, sickly sweet drink. And neither can DD.

@Ginfordinner

TBH I don't understand why so many mumsnetters make such a big thing of hot chocolate. I can't get excited about a hot, sickly sweet drink. And neither can DD.

Well that's fine, but others enjoy it, so...

@Ginfordinner

TBH I don't understand why so many mumsnetters make such a big thing of hot chocolate. I can't get excited about a hot, sickly sweet drink. And neither can DD.

Me either! Rather have a cup of tea 😆

Tea drinker here as well

I do pjs under the tree, always have before anyone invented boxes aka more tat. I think the pjs are fine but maybe combined with a more adult drink eg my DD's like port and a cheeseboard in Christmas Eve and none of us like bath bombs, why on earth do you want glitter in your tub to have to clean out???

OP you sound like you are lovely and very important to your family, keep those traditions going while they want them and you want to do them.