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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

For those working on xmas day, what are your family doing while you are at work?

45 replies

brimfull · 21/12/2010 19:49

dh and dc are just having curry and watching telly

feel guilty

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seb1 · 22/12/2010 16:08

My Dh working Christmas day and Boxing Day, neither life saving stuff or because we need the money, but because some people seem to want to fly places on Xmas day Confused, can't imagine much fun in that myself though.

blinks · 22/12/2010 22:15

ggirl- nah, still not 100% sure... it's effin hard to keep everyone happy.

Carrotsandcelery · 22/12/2010 22:22

gg your family will still have a lovely day, you will not be away all day.
The people you are going to work for will also really appreciate you being there. It is the true spirit of Christmas to look a little further than our own little family units.
DH's mum is a home care worker and loves working Christmas day as her clients are so glad to see her. For some of them the homecarers are the only people they see all day.
Feel very proud of yourself and the message you are sending to your dc to think of others too.
P.S. Curry, tv and toys sounds fantastic to me. Xmas Grin

brimfull · 22/12/2010 22:59

thanks carrot
welled up a bit reading your post

went xmas shopping with ds today and bought silly santa hat for me to wear to work which ds thought was great

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SharonGless · 22/12/2010 23:18

Is this first year you have worked Xmas Day? I have worked loads before children but only one when they were babies so it didn't matter as much.

Lovely post from carrot - try and focus on that part. What a fantastic example for your DC and you have the morning with them to celebrate Christmas. Are you having Family dinner on another day?

DooinMeCleanin · 22/12/2010 23:23

DH is working 2pm til 10pm on X-mas day. This will be irst x-mas he has worked.

We are having an early dinner so he can have some, so I wil have to be super organised as dinner is not usually ready until 2:30pm no matter how early I try and do it Xmas Hmm

My mum is coming after dinner to take the dc visiting while I walk the dogs and get x-mas buffet tea prepared for my parents, sisters, spouses and dc.

Dysgu · 23/12/2010 00:12

Well done to everyone working Christmas Day (or night). I have only done so pre-children.

However, I just wanted to share my experience as a child growing up with a father who worked EVERY Christmas Day bar one until his retirement 8 years ago.

When we were younger, he was too junior to get a choice so always ended up with a shift covering all or part of Christmas Day. When he was working locally he would get home at some stage and we would open presents and eat at whatever time fitted in.

As we got older and he became more senior at work, he volunteered to work so that men (and then women when the system changed!) with young children would not have to work the day itself.

When he became even more senior, and we had left home, he would volunteer to work back-to-back shifts to give younger parents time with their families. This time also coincided with him working away from home and he would not have been able to get home on Christmas Day as there are no ferries!

Now he is retired he generally is around to fall asleep in an armchair on the day itself - although some years he and my mum go away over Christmas and he is actually working it this year (couldn't stay retired on a full-time basis for his own sanity!)

All said, we NEVER felt that we were missing out on anything by him not being around all day or even at all sometimes on Christmas Day. My parents both feel that they would have liked him to be around more and that is why he worked when we were older so others didn't have to go through it. Our family does have some annual traditions but maybe not as many as other families due to the day itself being different each year depending on when he was home. (It may also have something to do with my parents' own upbringing and whether they had traditions anyway!)

So, whilst all of you people who are working and worrying that your children miss out - I seriously think that you miss out a lot more than they do IYSWIM.

SixtyFootDoll · 23/12/2010 09:22

Thanks Dsygu, the nearer the day gets the more upset I am feeling about it.
Might go out and get a Santa hat but I dont think it will be appreciated ( I work in the custody unit at a busy Police Station)

brimfull · 23/12/2010 10:43

sixtyfootdoll,could you celebrate on another day instead? We are having xmas dinner on boxing day and friends are joining us.I must say 12 shift is shit.
One nurse I know has volunteered to do all day 7:30am until 9:30pm Hmm

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SixtyFootDoll · 23/12/2010 15:06

I am having my family around Boxing day - 14 of them so am looking forward to that. We will do cold meats ets which i actually prefer. I will then proceed to get very very drunk.

I am just upset that I wont get to see the kids open their presents. If DS2 still didnt beleive in Santa then I would have tried to get them to hold their presents off until Boxing day - I jsut keep trying to think 'its only one day' but not helping. Sad
On the upside next years shift pattern means I am off all of Xmas and New Year Smile

SixtyFootDoll · 24/12/2010 08:40

Well - I spoke to my boss and he has said if I ring in at 6 tomorrow morning and they are quiet then I dont have to go in!!

Which I am chuffed with, DH says I should go in anyway as I will loose a lot of money.

I dont care about the money tbh and if I can stay home with my kids I will

brimfull · 24/12/2010 16:57

oh that's fab sixtyfootdoll! hope it's very quiet there tomorrow...sod the money

I was told today I don't need to go in until 2:30 so that's nice.

Hope you have a good day tomorrow
..and you binks ,this time tomorrow your shift will be well and truly over.

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SixtyFootDoll · 24/12/2010 17:50

I know the kids are praying to God that no one gets arrested tonight :-)

SixtyFootDoll · 24/12/2010 17:50

Hope your days go well too.

SixtyFootDoll · 25/12/2010 07:55

SoOoo I rang into work at 5.30 and it has been a quiet night, so am not needed! I ciuld have gone in but money can't buy today back! Wishing you all a peaceful time x

brimfull · 25/12/2010 10:55

woo hoo!!!
that's fantastic
enjoy your day!

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twopeople · 25/12/2010 12:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SixtyFootDoll · 26/12/2010 09:28

Hope you had a good day yeterday Ggirl and have a fab time today>

Christams day was so special yesterday for me, appreciated every minute of it

brimfull · 27/12/2010 17:14

thanks sixtyfoot- work was really busy ,glad it's over now.Had a great boxing day ,drank far too much and suffered on an early shift today.

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SixtyFootDoll · 27/12/2010 20:25
Grin Fair play to you , enjoy your days off.
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