To feel guilty I haven’t done my DS a Christmas Eve box?

[Redonionsalad]

He’s 7 and we never have really, except a couple of years ago when I did a few sweets and a colour in a bauble kit.
He has new PJs to wear every Christmas Eve. This year I did get them from vinted as money has been tight.

Everyone I know seems to be doing them. I feel rubbish this morning.

Absolutely no need to feel guilty. Not everyone will do them. DS will have a lovely Christmas.

I haven’t done one! My DC are 7 and 2. Why spent money on useless tat! We didn’t do elf on the shelf either. My son asked why not and I just said I don’t want an elf in the house 🤣

The kids will be too focused on Santa and the big day tomorrow, don’t beat yourself up I think more parents don’t do them than do. Live up to your own expectations and not what you see online. Have a happy Christmas!

I’ve never done a Xmas Eve box. My eldest is 14.

We never did them or the Elf on the shelf. DS is 13 and survived, he's never even questioned it. Don't beat yourself up. Xmas eve boxes are not needed and in my opinion shouldn't even be a things, kids don't need presents the night before Xmas!

Honestly you don't have to do any of it, there was no.Christmas eve boxes when mine were young it was new PJs and a Christmas film of choice, usually muppets Christmas carol then.set up.the santa tray then bed.

You haven't started the box so it is fine it doesn't matter what other people do.

Never done them here and DCs have never asked.

We're not doing that or elf on the shelf. My 6 year old keeps saying all her friends have them but I told her her elf is too busy making all her presents so now she thinks she's getting more presents as a result 🤣.

I never had an Xmas eve box as a kid. I still enjoyed Christmas.

If it helps OP, I worked on a psychiatric ward for over a decade. Not once did I ever come across anyone needing therapy/medication or psychological input from not having a Christmas Eve box as a child.

Free yourself from such silly worries and enjoy Christmas.

@FletchFan Clever 😀

We also don’t do new PJs… finding PJs my eldest DC likes and that fit her is a massive job involving 5 returns for every 1 successful set so not going there!! When did this become a thing??

We don't do them. We only started doing new Christmas PJ's as a Christmas eve thing last year, and mine are 9 and 6, when they asked for matching Christmas PJ's. Don't feel bad, there is so much pressure at this time of year and it's not necessary - a few nice (not expensive but well considered) presents on Christmas morning and a nice lunch with family, that's all that's needed.

Never done them. The kids (8 and 4) have never even asked. I don’t even usually do new PJs except I did grab some in the supermarket yesterday because we got back from skiing and I’m drowning under the mountains of laundry so they didn’t have any clean 🤣

Yabu to feel guilty.

Never even heard of them before. Sounds like a way of getting more money out of people. No thanks

God, the tasks of Christmas seem ever-expanding! I'd never heard of a Christmas Eve box till I read this thread title. People invent a new thing because they want to, and then all of a sudden everyone else has to feel guilty because they aren't doing it too.

The whole excitement of Christmas Eve is that it is the day of anticipation, before the day of actually getting gifts. Why two lots of gifting? All it does is exhaust the parent and make the child feel already a bit saturated before the big day.

I'd never even heard of a Christmas Eve box until I read something about them on MN very recently. I'd similarly never heard of Christmas eve pyjamas!

I'm sure, like many, many people I've managed to live my whole life without these things, which are apparently now "traditions" and I've not felt deprived.

So I really don't understand why you should feel guilty OP. If your wee boy has your love and a few presents tomorrow he will be happy.

We’ve never done it either, or the Elf. My DC just wouldn’t expect it. We are having a late coffee right now, watching all the Christmas things on tv and waiting for the CBBC panto at 9.15 (even DS 12!!)

They are already excited enough to decorate the cake later and make something for Father Christmas to eat.

Please don’t beat yourself up. Relax, and enjoy the day.

I think I tried it once when mine were younger and it was completely pointless and I realised the whole Christmas PJ's was a waste, we already had chocolate overload and the kids weren't fussed about doing the specific crafts I had put in the box and wanted to do other things. Never did it again. Honestly you are not missing out.

Most kids have too much and a sodding Christmas eve box just adds more work, and tat to the pile. Chill OP your DC will not notice what it has never had.

The only reason my DC get anything on Christmas eve is because in DHs country presents are opened Christmas eve. The DC get new PJ's, a family game to play together and a book for bedtime.

As a child the only thing we got Christmas eve was the excitement of going to bed to wake up to Christmas day, if it wasn't for DH that's all the DC would get too! 😆

Tbf mine were just normal pyjamas not Christmas ones and were for the Christmas photos 😂

Don't do Xmas Eve boxes. Don't do Elf.

My kids get a book on Xmas eve. They are new this year because I wanted to support our local independent book shop, but they've been second hand in the past.

You can do lots of Xmas eve traditions that cost nothing or very little. Watching a favourite film in the new pyjamas?

My kids are adults. But if it helps, I don't know anyone (friends or family) who has ever done a Christmas Eve box (I'm not even sure what goes in one?) or the elf & they all seem to have survived.
I do have one friend who gets everyone to choose one random present from under the tree to open on Christmas Eve. That's it.

It’s a load of commercialised bollocks