Can you still have a good small Xmas

[Littleoldbear]

I know there has been another Xmas post today which got me thinking..

Due to various reasons such as family members locations across the country, the size of our house etc, we will likely only celebrate Xmas day on our own with my dh and 2 dc. My dc are under 3 so still young and no Xmas traditions set in stone just yet but I wonder if they will find it lonely and boring as years go by

I always had aunties and uncles and grandparents to visit on Xmas day which was a real highlight and included extra presents great fun for a kid. I know life isn't like it was 20 plus years ago but will anyone else be celebrating just their immediate family or did this growing up?
How was it?

I already feel guilty the kids don't have many people in their lives and Xmas time impacts and highlights this even more me

@ThreeRingCircus ohhh Where's the Xmas board?!

Thanks everyone for your replies 😊 feeling much better x

I think you will have a wonderful time, just make sure you plan some out of the ordinary things to do like some games, maybe get iut for a walk, something to watch as a family in the evening etc. You could even do family video calls with a Christmas quiz!

It's fine. I think as long as you create rituals and make sure the whole day has something to look forward to, it works well.

Something like: a stocking of tiny presents from Santa, which they open on your bed, or with everyone in dressing gowns by the fire if they hang them up on the mantelpiece.

Then get dressed. Then have a fancy Christmas breakfast.

Then main presents from mum and dad (hide any given by relatives in advance)

Take time to sort the presents out. Help DC get the packaging off, put batteries in, read books, try on dressing up clothes, build Duplo, ride tricycles etc.

Then make a big thing of there being presents for them to give to you and DH from them.

Ring or Zoom or Skype any relatives and get DC to wish them Happy Christmas.

We have a simple lunch or just brunch, so the day is built around them enjoying presents. If there are any from relatives, open them now.

Then we usually go for a walk to the park to feed ducks or to look at decorated houses etc.

Home for a Christmassy film while you prep dinner, which we have early at about 6pm. Light candles, pull crackers, tell silly jokes etc.

Then bath and bed for DC.

Honestly, I think it is largely what you used to. I grew up like you having really big family Christmasses and the thought of a small one bums me out a bit. But DH grew up with small family Christmasses and loved them.

So if your kids only know the small family ones, they wont be missing out! They'll love what they have.

We always have Christmas day just us and our Dc and we all love it. We open presents, have a lovely lunch, watch a Christmas film etc...agree with other posters about making your own traditions. We always go to a local cinema to watch a Christmas film in the run up, walk round our local area to look at Christmas lights, DC a Christmas Eve box, and we always go for a walk at our local national trust place on boxing Day. We also get the train to a nearby city to do some Christmas shopping and we are also doing a day in London this year on the train. We visit family but I love our traditions as a family unit. Would stress me out more if we had lots of people over to entertain etc... We can do our thing and it's much more chilled.

It's always been just me and dd and now she won't even countenance going to see anyone. We don't even have a Christmas dinner, we eat whatever we want all day and watch telly and plata games , and wear our Christmas pjs . Love it so much.

Sounds a bit random but our little DC love having an Xmas disco at some point in the day if your looking for something to do. We all dance around together to Xmas music and sometimes blow up a couple of balloons to bat around.
We only have the four of us at Xmas and we love it but it's what you make it!

The Christmas Board

It's a lovely corner of Mumsnet! 🎄

We always did Christmas as a nuclear family and then did wider family on boxing Day. I loved it - the day was just about us, as a family. We could play with our toys, go for a walk...with less people you've got less people to please and your kids have more of mom and dad's attention.

Mine has been not more than three, and sometimes I'm on my own, for the past 6 years. It's what you make of it.

My entire family (three generations) consists of seven people (ages 16 - 70) so all our Christmas's (and Easters and Thanksgivings) are small.
When my children were the ages of yours, the three of us celebrated Christmas Eve together. They could stay up until they fell asleep. We would drink hot cocoa and eat popcorn balls and watch a Christmas movie (Christmas on Sesame Street). Then into bed while the dogs and I set out the Christmas gifts under the tree.
The next morning they woke up and grabbed their stockings. The rest of the family arrives and we open gifts. They while the little ones play the older ones put together a Christmas brunch - homemade blueberry muffins and eggnog are musts. A walk around the neighborhood and in the late afternoon a buffet with everyone's specialties. No theme - just traditional family foods.
We have been doing it this way for 40 years now, so I guess it qualifies as our family tradition - the two little children are grown, each with one child of their own - so our family doesn't get any bigger, but we still look forward to Christmas together.

Since becoming a single parent 20 years ago I think we've only had 2 or 3 Christmas days with wider family rather than just on our own (live hours away from rest of family).
We just made our own traditions and I don't think my sons missed out on anything.
I preferred having everything to our routine rather than trying to fit in with parents/ILs

We had no other family within reach so all our Christmases with children, were just us. DH's job sometimes required him to work on Christmas day; when that happened we just had Christmas on an alternative day. When children grew up and spread out across the world DH and I sometimes had Christmas with just the two of us. It was lovely; total self indulgence.

When I was a child often our Christmas day was me, my sister and our parents. We'd open and play with our presents, eat Christmas Dinner and play games in the evening. It was never anything fancy but it was just lovely family time. My son is only 3 months old so he won't understand Christmas for a while yet but I look forward to doing similar with him.

Yep! We (2 teens and I) usually spend Christmas Day with my mum and step dad so "small" anyway.

One year it was just DC and me. It was just as good. Super chilled. No worrying about anyone else. PJs on when we felt like it. Loved it!

My favourite Christmas was 2020.
We lived in a completely different country, hadn't seen family in almost a year. We always had a big family Christmas and I was actually dreading it that year.
DD was 10 at the time and an only child, so she didn't even have siblings to play with.

We just made it our own, Christmas PJ's, our favourite food, movies, music, silly games. Spent the day opening and unboxing DD's presents and bought a few board games for after dinner.
Felt just as Christmassy as every other year but far more relaxed and intimate.

If you’re happy with your DH then you don’t need anyone else! My mum is like this because she hates my dad and doesn’t want to spend time just them two.. I love my DH and his company so lockdown Xmas with DH and our 3yo was fine!