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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you move Christmas Day with kids if you were all unwell?

58 replies

Christmastime4 · 21/12/2020 23:54

Would you move Christmas Day with kids if you were all unwell?

OP posts:
TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 21/12/2020 23:56

Yep! I've also "moved" Christmas Day when they've been with their Dad.

LibrariesGiveUsPower45321 · 21/12/2020 23:56

As in do turkey a different day? Yeah. Give gifts, no way. It’d keep the kids amused for a bit.

Move Christmas bubble - no.

thefourgp · 21/12/2020 23:58

My kids are with their dad this Christmas so we’re celebrating it on Wednesday. They’re very excited about having two Christmas days.

Original poster
Christmastime4 · 22/12/2020 00:06

Presents yes

OP posts:
LadyJaye · 22/12/2020 00:09

I've said before on threads that my dad was in the Navy and we quite often had two Christmases (and multiple birthdays).

It was brilliant. There is not a child alive who will turn down the option of a second Christmas.

Cannotwaitfornewyr · 22/12/2020 00:11

I remember when I was 7 and I had the flu on Christmas day. I was lying on the settee watching my siblings open their presents until I fell asleep. My mum woke me up for dinner, but I could only manage the soup. Then I slept again for most of the day.
A few days later, I was feeling better. My mum and siblings had gone out to the sales for the day so it was just me and my dad at home. My presents were still wrapped under the tree. My dad cooked a christmas dinner for me and him, as he didn't eat the meal on Christmas day, because I wasn't up to eating mine. He had saved me a christmas cracker, so we did Christmas a few days after my siblings and mum had. He watched me open my presents then helped to assemble the toys and played with them with me for ages. We watched some christmas films and he made the day so special. It's the one Christmas that really stands out for me as a child.

Original poster
Christmastime4 · 22/12/2020 00:12

I don’t mean two Christmas though. Just move it.

OP posts:
Glitterinthegrey · 22/12/2020 00:13

Yes. Have moved Christmas Day a few times - because I was working (shift working key worker), because DD was with her father, and because some of us were too poorly to enjoy it.

TheGremlinsAreComing · 22/12/2020 00:16

My parents moved Christmas Day to New Year's Day one year because me and my siblings were so poorly: it was loads of fun! And we got to stay up til midnight New Year's Eve.

Original poster
Christmastime4 · 22/12/2020 00:17

How would you go about Father Christmas though?

OP posts:
TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 22/12/2020 00:18

How old are your DC @Christmastime4? Would they even know you moved it?
Although if the answer to that is "no" then it won't matter if you celebrate when you are better. If the answer is "yes" then they should be able to understand why you have moved the day.

@Cannotwaitfornewyr your Dad sounds wonderful. Smile

Cherry321 · 22/12/2020 00:19

@Cannotwaitfornewyr

I remember when I was 7 and I had the flu on Christmas day. I was lying on the settee watching my siblings open their presents until I fell asleep. My mum woke me up for dinner, but I could only manage the soup. Then I slept again for most of the day. A few days later, I was feeling better. My mum and siblings had gone out to the sales for the day so it was just me and my dad at home. My presents were still wrapped under the tree. My dad cooked a christmas dinner for me and him, as he didn't eat the meal on Christmas day, because I wasn't up to eating mine. He had saved me a christmas cracker, so we did Christmas a few days after my siblings and mum had. He watched me open my presents then helped to assemble the toys and played with them with me for ages. We watched some christmas films and he made the day so special. It's the one Christmas that really stands out for me as a child.
This is so lovely. What a fabulous dad.
stardust40 · 22/12/2020 00:31

We moved ours when we were flying on holiday on Xmas day! Santa sent the kids a letter saying he'd heard they were going away and he had arranged a delivery in xxx date! We then had a normal Xmas day on that day!

CoffeeCreamandSugar · 22/12/2020 00:33

When I had my second child we had to stay in hospital after he was born for a few weeks. We moved xmas day then. My daughter was too young to know any different

Nikhedonia · 22/12/2020 00:34

I interpreted the title as 'moving Christmas day' as moving house on Christmas Day and thought it sounded properly bonkersGrin

This sounds like a much more sensible thing to do

Bikingbear · 22/12/2020 00:35

I guess it depends on the age of kids and are they likely to figure it out / notice. Advent calendar run out of doors, TV giving it away.
Are they old enough to understand Santa doesn't enter isolating houses?

I was in hospital when DS was 5, I don't think we could have delayed Christmas as someone would no doubt ask "what did Santa bring" I don't think we could have got away with "hes coming in a few days"

But its not unreasonable if you could pull it off

CoffeeCreamandSugar · 22/12/2020 00:35

You could tell them santa has called because he’s heard you are all poorly and he’s promised to come back on a different night so you can all celebrate properly?

It really depends how old they are Flowers

CoffeeCreamandSugar · 22/12/2020 00:36

Perhaps Santa is doing things differently this year because of corona

BaronessBomburst · 22/12/2020 00:37

We moved New Year's Eve 2018 because DS was ill. We recorded the BBC Big Ben Chimes and fireworks and did it all a week later. Even got dressed up in party clothes and laid out a buffet.

Original poster
Christmastime4 · 22/12/2020 01:06

Thanks everyone, they are 8. I just wondered if anyone had got away with it and if they regretted it in the future? There’s something that would upset me being on a different day.

OP posts:
AlwaysLatte · 22/12/2020 01:09

Yes, I'd definitely make a big thing of making another special day to make up for it.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 22/12/2020 01:14

It depends how unwell. If it meant they wouldn't enjoy it at all, yes.
If I could get away with it, I would just not tell them, but at 8 they might twig, so I would probably ask them if they wanted me to make a special phone call to santa to ask him to come when everyone was feeling better. Or tell them santa can't come until everyone is feeling better incase he gets sick and can't deliver presents. They are 8, they will believe what you tell them.

Bikingbear · 22/12/2020 01:21

I'd maybe ask if they want you to phone Santa and delay. Other option is Santa delivers they can open gifts at their own pace but wait and extra day or two for Christmas dinner.

Nordman · 22/12/2020 01:25

@Cannotwaitfornewyr

I remember when I was 7 and I had the flu on Christmas day. I was lying on the settee watching my siblings open their presents until I fell asleep. My mum woke me up for dinner, but I could only manage the soup. Then I slept again for most of the day. A few days later, I was feeling better. My mum and siblings had gone out to the sales for the day so it was just me and my dad at home. My presents were still wrapped under the tree. My dad cooked a christmas dinner for me and him, as he didn't eat the meal on Christmas day, because I wasn't up to eating mine. He had saved me a christmas cracker, so we did Christmas a few days after my siblings and mum had. He watched me open my presents then helped to assemble the toys and played with them with me for ages. We watched some christmas films and he made the day so special. It's the one Christmas that really stands out for me as a child.
Reading this actually brought a tear to my eye, what a lovely story!
Nordman · 22/12/2020 01:28

I don't know about 'move' Christmas Day, the day is the day. But in my family Christmas is a series of days of different celebrations. So if you are ill then you could just move things around on different days to suit how you feel at the time. Special dinner when you feel up to cooking/eating it. Presents when you feel like opening them. Etc. It doesn't all need to happen on the 25th, do it to suit yourself.