If you take this time of year off as annual leave, what are you doing?

[HairdryerMary]

I've always worked until and including Xmas Eve. The kids go to a mixture of holiday clubs. When I hear from friends who seem to be struggling with very excited children, crap weather etc or see parents try to go do the Xmas food shop with kids in tow, I think why? Why would you put yourself through it? Surely it's nicer to have annual leave in the summer or spring. Otherwise you just have ten days off in a row?

I love being off work at Christmas. I’m working today and off tomorrow til 4th Jan.

With all the bank holidays, you don’t have to take much A/L to get the whole period between Christmas and new year off.

I finished last Friday. Got the house all nice and shiny for a couple of days so when DD finished school, we could just chill.

Honestly, just waking up a bit later and not getting ready for work/school run, feel glorious.

We have a couple of days planned. A meal out in Liverpool on Xmas eve (dd's birthday), then Hamilton in the crimbo limbo and we are doing an NYE get together, but apart from that, we plan on doing sweet FA, apart from eating shite, drinking lots of Bailey's coffee's and staying at home.

My workplace is toxic AF, so it's so lovely to be away from it for a couple of weeks.

Because of how the bank holidays have fallen and that I only work 3 days a week, I've only had to take 2 days leave for 18 days off.

My H is off the first week in Jan plus the bank hols. Kids finish tomorrow lunchtime.

Today I'll get on top of the housework and then sort presents in the afternoon. Tomorrow will be a quick dash around trying to get last min bits done before pick up.

We have Cinema booked, walks sales shopping, meals out with family and friends, long lie ins and relaxed movie afternoons. I also need to totally declutter the kitchen as we're getting a new one in January.

Then we're going away to a cabin in the woods with a hot tub after New year. Can't wait.

I generally take the days between Xmas and NY but not much else. Mainly because I’m exhausted by now and want to relax and sleep, lol. Every year I have high hopes to do stuff in the house etc, and every year I just watch films and eat chocolate!

I don't have kids but I often take a week towards the start of Dec and head up to the Cairngorms. Beautiful time of year for walking there.

Now I am off for a couple of days and will be washing and making beds up and prepping for Xmas guests. I like everything to start pristine, even if it goes downhill fast when the festivities start

Not much! Two secondary school aged DC here. They finished on Friday (extraordinarily early for their state school) and I was worried they'd get bored. I hadn't appreciated how much they just needed to crash after the long autumn term. The autumn term is probably one of their busier ones for sport too with at least one after school commitment every day and commitments both weekend days. It's just so nice not to clock watch.
I've met up with someone for a coffee most days, been to the gym, done some sorting around the house ready for Christmas visitors and done some prep for Christmas (wrapping presents etc). I have also spent a lot off time reading, scrolling through social media & watching TV.
DC1 has spent a lot of time sleeping. Otherwise, she's seen friends in person or been on her phone with them. She's also having a sort out of her bedroom.
DC2 has spent hours gaming. He can't believe his luck. He's also met up with friends in person.
It's just really nice not doing anything much. I am lucky though - I get something like 9 weeks holiday a year. If I had a more standard allowance, days spent like this would be a real waste.

My workplace closes between Christmas Eve & New Year. I had 5 days that had to be used up so I’ve been generally relaxing with the cats, seeing friends, finishing my Christmas shopping.

The kids go to a mixture of holiday clubs

My experience was that DC were exhausted from school or completely hyped up for Xmas by school. So it was lovely to have some relaxing time at home with them before the festivities began.

Also the weather in the UK can be crap in the summer and you can book leave and still be restricted by rain.

My industry closes for two weeks over Christmas and also in summer.
I bloody love it! Even if I was tempted to check in whilst on leave I can't, so I kick back properly and actually switch off and rest.
Catching up with the adult DC's who all have lives and families of their own; meet a few friends and get some runs and cycling in the daylight!
I've been with this employer for three years and previously I've always either had to battle for the odd day off, or work through the festive period, so this has been a total change of lifestyle. I only wish I'd had something like this when the kids were small!

Dc finishing school today and I have had this week off. I have been out for lunch, done some shopping, cleaned a bit. I agree that if i take time off in the summer it is always busy and i feel I have to do things. In the winter i just relax and potter and watch films or read.

Christmas leave is my favourite leave period (although I tend to work up until just before Xmas eve, so I will be off from Friday until Jan 8th).

It's the only time of year most other people are off work in my org so when I get back to my inbox in Jan it is usually relatively empty so I don't have to spend the week catching up!

It's the one holiday I feel absolutely no pressure to keep the kids entertained all day; we have 2 weeks of guilt free sleeping, eating, lounging around the house. They play with their new toys. It is a genuine break and reset, by January I am usually grateful for the return to routine.

I’ve only got 27th and 2nd off - live on outskirts of london so planning to go into town and see the lights and maybe a show. Also want to take DD 15 to see Wonka. I prefer to take AL in spring and summer plus others want the time off so I don’t mind covering

Well over the next few days I'm doing nothing much. Couple walks, eat good food, going to see Xmas lights. Over Xmas I've got lots of family to see and friends so it's quite busy

I have 32 days a year to take. I cant take them all in summer, I can't afford to go away for every second of it and I like this time of year. Annual leave is for relaxing

Older DC here and one back from
uni. Quiet at work so boring to be in. Relatives coming for a long stretch so changing beds, tidying, food prep etc the next few days. Mixed with taxi duties, food shopping & collection, present and card delivery and some parties. Between Christmas Day and NY will do a trip to London, a few walks, lots of games and puzzles ( have some good new ones this year) and schlep to see a few more family. It goes surprisingly fast. It’s a strange mixture of manic and restful!

I’ve taken this week off for the last few years. I finished on the 15th and this week is my massive Christmas clean. Our little boy is still at the childminder (last day today). On monday I had my nails done and then I did a few small jobs like tidied pantry and the cutlery drawer, oven trays, glasses, pots and pans etc. Tuesday we went and did our Xmas shop, yesterday we had a day off and took our little one bowling. Today we are doing the big clean so that over the weekend we just have to keep it tidy! I bloody love it 😅

My company closes over Christmas, so I have to take 3 days off. I’ve taken tomorrow as holiday as I have a horrible cold and did nothing last week, so still have all my presents to wrap.

I'm waiting to have a baby 😂

I'm a teacher so don't get any choice when my holidays are. As usual I am currently ill, the kids are ill and tired and dh is at work. I'm attempting to clean the house to a visitor worthy state, it currenly looks like horders live here. Also sorting out all the stuff like bedding, towels, food shop, frantically ordering something nice for us all to wear on Christmas day because all our clothes look tatty and old, hunting for the Xmas gifts I was sure I bought but can't find and so on. If I worked till Xmas eve I'm not sure Christmas would happen in our house. I'd really love to be sipping a luxury hot chocolate and walking around a tastefully decorated National Trust house taking insta worthy photos but instead I'm in my not grottiest pj's with a red nose and grey and spotty end of term, not had enough sleep complexion wishing I could just go to bed.

I don't have kids but I guess most people take time off because there's very little childcare at this time of year.

Im not sure if you know but your post is smug, if you don't realise that or it wasn't intentional I'd reflect on it as it may cause you issues in real life.

I've just remembered I need to clean the oven so the kitchen doesn't fill with acrid smoke on Christmas day. I forgot to pick up a Click and collect parcel and the kids says there's nothing for breakfast.

I'm off this week, I was ready for a break, I've had a lovely few days so far, really chilled as my DD was still in school. Had a spa day on Tues, Mon and Weds just had lovely days pottering, doing exercise, wrapping the pressies, finishing off some decoration, prepping some food for Christmas etc. My job is very full on and it has been really nice to have some quiet downtime before Christmas.

This is the perfect time for big jigsaws whilst listening to audiobooks 🙂

I finished on the 14th Dec and go back on the 2nd Jan, I always have 2 weeks in the summer as well, and the odd day or two throughout the year.

I time my A/L around bank holidays, so don't have to take it all from my A/L allowance.

DH is a teacher so we’re all off together, which is glorious. A bit of laziness, shopping, cleaning up beforeDH goes to collect DPIL.

Taking annual leave over the Xmas holidays because my childminder is off over the holidays, no one else can take toddler DS and he’s a bit too young for holiday clubs (none aimed at small children here).