How old we're your DC before they 'got' and were excited about Christmas?

[TheTermagantToaster]

DS will have just turned 2 by Christmas. I'm really impatient for the magic to start but it doesn't seem likely he'll get much more than, 'Ooh! Pretty lights! Boxes!' this year....

When do I get to start making hoof prints in icing sugar?!?!

Dd1 was really excited for first time at 7 but has sen. We had just gone through motions before that.

Dd2 around three

My daughter will be 3 next month and last christmas eve my brother dressed up as santa and came to the house to give her a present. She still speaks about it now and asks if santa will come back to see her this year. So I think just start doing all your traditions now, even if he doesn't understand he may still enjoy them and it's always nice to have the photos to look back on :)

You start the hoof prints now! He'll only get (over)excited if you are too :)

My DS1 was ridiculously excited on his 2yrs and 9m xmas.

And believe me, in 5m he'll be MUCH more aware of everything than he is now.

Go daft - they don't believe for long so make the most of it while they do.

My DS was 2 and 3 months last Christmas and fully understood. A combination of reading Christmas books, making a few decorations and pointing out new lights and decorations which appeared in our local town on a daily basis from mid November onwards had him totally over excited for the day itself. I was amazed at how he fully understood the concept. He is at nursery two afternoons a week and they clearly built up to Christmas for six weeks or so leading up to it. In December I tried to do one Christmas themed thing a day with him. Making a Christmas card for daddy, choosing and decorating the tree, watching carol singers, heading to the Christmas market, attending the Christmas lights switch on, nursery nativity etc. We also played Christmas music in the house a lot. I really love Christmas and want to pass on my enthusiasm to him. He does seem to really remember lots of things from last Christmas and the thing he seemed to love most was having Granny and Grandpa to stay. This year we will have a new baby so may have to cut back on craft activities but the magical seed has already been sown so I am hoping the build up will be just as special.

I hope you are feeling inspired to start singing jingle bells and reading
Christmas stories.

Interesting. Possibly I'm giving DS less credit than he deserves - he has a slight expressive language delay so he can't really tell us what he's thinking.

I have such amazing memories of Christmas as a child, and I want him to grow up with the same sense of magic and wonder...as long as he's not as excited as my DSis used to be (puked every year without fail :o).

My dds are 6 and 4 and I think last year at this current age was by far the best!

Ds was 2.7 last year and wasn't that excited but this year he remembers last Christmas so knows what to expect and mentions Santa occasionally so he'll be mega excited this year!

My ds was 3.2yrs last Christmas and was excited but still went to bed and slept well and had to be reminded the next day that father Christmas might have been. This year, he's started his Christmas list already and he's nearly 3.10. A little tip at Xmas, don't make the same mistake as me when my ds was 2 and give the best presents first, as they refuse to open anything else

My DS will be 2.2 this Christmas, I am already telling him Santa's coming in less than four months, so hopefully by December he will be fully worked up*! :) (Needs Christmas emoticons!)
*Hopefully not to puking up proportions!

It's hard to know how crazy to go, as they come on so fast in a few months, but I agree with a pp to start as you mean to go on, and if they don't understand it all, the memories for us will be worth it, and the photos will be lovely.

Hoping for exciting times this year with ds who will be 4.5. Last year at 3.5 he was just a bit meh.