In bed ill and down..anyone want to talk about Christmas?

[Windslammingtheshutters]

In one sense it stresses me out, but in another I love planning for Dd, who is 5, such a magical time for them

Are you taking her to see Santa before or to a grotto? Dd will be nearly 2 and I'm so excited.

Christmas shouldn't stress you out, especially with such a young child.

What is it that stresses you out?

Do you do any nice meals? I'm starting to plan my menu. We have three to cover, Christmas eve with husband's family, Christmas breakfast with both families, and Christmas dinner with my family. Usually kind of a classic for xmas eve, fancy brunch in the morning, then something simpler/more unique for christmas dinner. I try to make ahead where I can.

What are your favorite family traditions? Do you do presents for the grownups?

5 will be such a fab age for Christmas, your DD is going to have a magical time as will you being able to enjoy it with her!

Our little one is too young to understand it yet but I can just imagine how stressful it is to organize everything for a child who ‘gets it’

Maybe use this time to think about ways to make it less stressful, what could you unload to others, what elements maybe haven’t been necessary in past years that can be dropped?

We've just moved back to the UK and I am really looking forward to a "proper" Christmas in our new home.

We were in the UK for a family Christmas last year, but we were in an airbnb and travelling with hand luggage only so it wasn't quite the same!

Sorry everyone, I just meant thinking about the cost 🙈Everything else is great about it
Thinking of doing the Elf thing this year, but not sure 🤔

@Windslammingtheshutters if you do please update the thread as I’m currently in the ‘I’ll never get DD used to the pissing elf’ mindset as all I hear every year are parents moaning about having to think of ideas for the elf every day.

then they expect it and it becomes a ‘thing’

@Fabshab You do it for your Dd? Is it a pain in the arse 😂would I be better not doing it? She has no idea of it yet…I thought it might be fun

Don't start anything you're not willing to carry on doing for the next 5+ years!

I love Christmas but I always put off planning until far too late. This year will finally be the year when I will book a Father Christmas (in Finland its traditional to have a hired Father Christmas come round on Christmas Eve and hand out the presents) early enough that I actually get a choice of time - last year there was only one time left at an awkward time.

Did you know there's a Christmas topic?

@ShowOfHands No, I didn’t.

Hello @Windslammingtheshutters - me too!

I've been buying stocking presents online this weekend. No children at home now so just for my DH. Stockings are just little gifts, the main present is opened later.

I really love Christmas and I love planning for it. I usually have everything bought and wrapped by the end of November. We don't go overboard with presents and we have a budget we stick to, so getting started early helps to spread the cost and reduce the stress. Pantomime tickets were bought months ago for us, my daughter and partner and the grandchildren. We will be on our own this year, not hosting or cooking as I'm not well enough this year and my DH has been looking after me for months, so we only have to choose which delicious pre-made food/nibbles to buy. So - no stress this year at all!

The trick is to spread the load, meaning time, budget and effort... And not to get caught up in the competitive gift giving. It's not the number or cost of gifts that matters, it is the love and care that goes into choosing them.

I hope you feel better soon and have the most wonderful Christmas, when it gets here.

What about making some decorations with your DD? I was maybe 7, but mum still has the decorations we made one Christmas.

• Collect pine cones, decorate in eco glitter, add a ribbon and hang on the tree or around windows
• How to make a Christmas pomander - National Geographic Kids (natgeokids.com)
• Paper Plate Baubles (artycraftykids.com)