To not ever go out on Christmas Day.

[Highfivemum]

Have just been having a morning chat with an old friend and she said how she was shocked that on Christmas Day we never go anywhere and it was a tad selfish to others. To explain my DH and I have 6 DC and since we had our first we have always said we want to spend Christmas in our own home. We don’t want to drag the DC away from home and their new toys etc we want to chill out at home. Any visiting is done on Boxing Day. We have my DB and close friend over on Christmas Day and that is our routine. We love it like that. My DF today on the phone said pop over for a Chrissy drink on Christmas Day ( her children are all late teens) and I declined and said no thanks. She thought that was strange and selfish. First time I have been called out on our tradition and now thinking that maybe it is selfish I look back over the years and yes we have refused quite a few invites to visit on Christmas Day. I just love getting up and being with the DC and not having to go out. I also love it just being the 10 of us all day and I can stay in my PJs if I want. ( we are extremely close to my DB and my DF who is a sis I never had )
what does everyone else do. ? Does anyone else just not go out ?

@ShowOfHands yesss. I replied then read further down the thread and saw all the "dragging" and "traipsing" remarks. 😖

Honestly my kids love opening them but as soon as they're open, they're onto the excitement of seeing all their cousins and giving presents to other people.

No judgment to anyone who stays at home, or their reasons, but I think it's worth remembering that Christmas means different things to different people. I really can't imagine growing up and now having a complex about being "dragged away from my toys" because my childhood Christmases weren't really focused on toys. In fact one of my best and most vivid memories is carrying a set of dining chairs half a mile along the road with my sibling and cousins because my grandma didn't have enough seats for everyone and my mum didn't drive. It was all about the dinner and the people and the music and the stuff my Nana (great-grandmother) would come out with after one too many brandys.

The toys would still be there on Boxing day but that "magical" Christmas Day feeling wouldn't.