Seriously, f*ck Christmas!

[Eurydice84]

• I am working until Xmas eve. My entire family is staying over, but my Mum/Dad/bro refused to babysit when I will working because "they're too tired"
• DH and I are doing all the cooking. Every. Single. Year.
• No one drives so I will be the official chaffeur for the holidays
• I have been wrapping up presents for two weekends in a row
• I spent an entire day making a gingerbread house yesterday and it has v predictably collapsed on itself
• Pre-school party tomorrow, of course in the middle of the working day
• Just got soaked to the bone delivering Xmas cards around the village

Hitting the Bailey's hard today. How is this the most wonderful time of the year?

Stop being a martyr…

I just don’t get people like you. You clearly enjoy being a martyr or you wouldn’t be doing this crap.

I agree with everyone else - just don’t do it. It’s not easy putting your foot down but once you do it, it’s amazingly liberating. You will be FREE.

This is an easy fix; you just say “no” and it’s sorted.

Have I got this right , your close family are staying but they won't help with childcare while you are working on xmas eve ?

So just do the parts you like, assuming there’s something about Christmas you like …

I wish I had my parents and sibling still alive to get stressed with.

Thousands of people will spend it alone. Cold, hungry.....count your blessings OP.

Erm most of this is changeable/preventable.

• cards are optional
• explain you won't be doing lifts this year
• don't make a gingerbread house - it's a fun thing to do with older children when you can pretty much leave them to do it, otherwise it's just an extra chore.
• buy fewer gifts /get the children and DH to help wrap them
• give everyone an item of food to bring to the meal, or simplify the meal

There are no essential tasks to Christmas, we all choose how much work we turn it into

Don’t be a martyr! What have you agreed to all of this?

Really?!

I wonder how many women get told to suck up the shit work every year while they facilitate making a Very Merry Christmas because it would be sad if everyone was dead, countless, I guess.

I am not a martyr, I was having a tongue in cheek rant. Some parts of my original message were meant to be humorous. Of course it was my choice to make a gingerbread house, it was kind of funny when the whole thing crumbled down!

As for my relatives: they are coming from abroad and I didn't feel like saying no after two years of pandemic and not seeing each other. I gave it for granted they would help with childcare (esp my brother, he's young and able-bodied). I was completely flabbergasted by their reply yesterday and will act accordingly in future years.

On a side note, when did this gingerbread house nonsense become a thing? I never saw one as a child, now all the competitive insta-parents seem to see it as essential (like the elf and Xmas eve boxes etc...). What changed?

Oh, and cards: I don't send cards, but reply to the ones that people send to me. It would be rude not to, right?

As others have said, just say no! Say you’re so busy working, you are having a quiet Christmas to yourself and everyone else should make their own Xmas plans. You do not need to do this to yourself!

Op, if they can't be arsed to pull their weight then pull up the drawbridge and tell them you are all done with playing host.

Christmas is as simple or complicated as you make it, l haven't even given Xmas a second thought, because l keep it very simple.

Don't invite next year.

Probably USA influence?

Yes really.

The OP and others need to read the room.

Tell everybody to fuck off and enjoy your baileys op😂

@Eurydice84 - all you can do is learn from this and not repeat it. If you don't enjoy it and it is stressing you out them stop. Have your family conditioned you into thinking you are obliged to provide all of this for them?

I've only ever made on gingerbread house in my life. That was the year I learnt not to bother next year!

Most of my children's presents got wrapped in fabric gift bags (that I bought of eBay) and used year after year. I only wrapped 1 or 2 in paper. No complaints. I also slowly cut back on presents for other people full stop/made them smaller so they easily went in gift bags. Again, this was after a year where I found wrapping a real chore.

Read the room? I think you are on your own telling the op she should endure this. Is it your room Willyoujustbequiet?

Oh for fucks sake, people are allowed their own feelings you know.

My parents are dead and I have no siblings - people can bitch away about theirs, it makes no difference to me.