I really enjoyed it but gosh, those Christmasses were tiring. Though we seemed to have more energy to get everything organised and happening for DD’s sake! Now, we have a more relaxed Christmas (she’s 13), but the whole thing and the house doesn’t get sorted to quite the standard it used to and maybe it’s made us a bit lazy.
However, not being woken up until 9-ish, and then having a lazy coffee and cinnamon buns whilst DD chats with her friends about her presents, then an afternoon watching nice (and not kiddy) Christmas films, is far more relaxing than being woken up at 6am and being constantly on the go sorting out kid food and toys all day!
Thinking back, actually my favourite Christmasses with DD were actually when she was pre-school — say younger than 4, and was far less interested in presents and Santa than just in the lights and the spectacle of it all. She’d get a stocking with maybe a light up bath duck and a couple of small toys, plus maybe something like a wheelybug or a wooden train set as a main present, but there were no expectations, and she just loved to be taken out for a walk around the estate to see the lit-up houses.
The huge build-up that primary schools get them into before Christmas is lovely in many ways, but it does generate a huge amount of expectation and overstimulation. Those first Christmasses when DD was a toddler and was happy with anything were actually amazingly lovely in comparison.