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Christmas

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Original poster

Can Christmas still be fun if we stay at home?

20 replies

DTisMYdoctor · 31/08/2013 18:01

I'd really like to stay at home this Christmas (with me, DH and DS age 5), but wonder if it could be a bit dull for DS.

Every year we have Christmas morning at home but as soon as presents are opened we get ready and travel for around an hour to visit family. Then on Boxing Day we usually visit the other side of the family.

I'd really like to stay at home, let DS enjoy presents, have exactly what we want for Christmas dinner possibly supplied by M&S and then go for a walk/snuggle up to watch a Christmas film or whatever we fancy.

I worry that it might be a bit rubbish, DH or I will spend half the day in the kitchen, and it won't be as much fun for DS.

Does anyone with one child stay at home on their own? How do you find it? For reasons I won't bore you with, inviting family here isn't an option.

OP posts:

WhoNickedMyName · 31/08/2013 18:05

We did it a couple of years ago and had a fabulous day. DS got to take his time opening presents, getting them out of their boxes and setting things like his train tracks up throughout the day, dinner was easy, we could have a couple of wines without worrying about who was driving home, I got my pj's on straight after dinner and we snuggled down to watch TV.

But actually, we prefer having everyone over to us, to being on our own.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 31/08/2013 18:10

It sounds like your ds ends up spending a lot of time in the car, travelling to relatives, when you do,things your usual way - he might well enjoy being at home with all his new toys more than all that time in the car.

And you can do lots of things to make it a special day, and to establish your own family traditions.

DragonsAreReal · 31/08/2013 18:11

I'm doing it for the first time this year! DD will be almost 8 and ds is 6 and we have never had christmas alone at home before.

My plan as such is, go to my mums christmas eve (shes having a party so all the family) and come home quite late, hopefully like last year dc won't wake up till 8/8:30 again :) open stockings, have a nice breakfast, then open the rest of the presents (actually I don't think they will be able to wait) let them play with their presents for a while and get dressed.

Haven't decided whether to do a roast christmas dinner or a all our favourite food together christmas dinner. I do not want to be in the kitchen all day but at the same time I loovee cooking and food.

If the weathers nice go to the park for a bit, dc dad will probably pop in, my mum will probably pop in, might invite my brother and sister to pop in just to break it up although since I will be seeing them christmas eve theres no point.

Boxing day I will see my nan and my auntie, and then the next day is a friday and my friends and me are going to sort out a christmas kids party with leftovers and birthday party games, or all go out for a meal.

I think the trick is to keep the days around the 25th busy and people packed.

CMOTDibbler · 31/08/2013 18:13

We love just staying at home. We don't do a big faffy meal, and have had a variety of things to eat. Ds's fave thing is having an afternoon meal that is a pudding/sweet things buffet

I like having one day a year that I can stay in my pjs to be honest

Flibbertyjibbet · 31/08/2013 18:32

But christmas at home IS the best fun! Sit about in pjs all day, the kids are fully occupied with their pressies, no dragging them out to relatives to sit round a table with lots of adults when all they want to do is play with whatever they got.

I think this year we will go to my parents on Xmas eve and the pils on boxing day. The last 2 years we stayed at home and it's been fab. Dp does the cooking, I get to scoff selection box at 8 am.

My mum had 4 kids and every other year had to drag us all out for big buffet at my aunties where the trifle was laced with sherry so tasted disgusting to kids. Then the alternate year we had to travel up and cram in at my other grans 3 bed house 250 miles away for a week or so, and the gifts we got was always limited to what dad could fit in the car coming back.... 6 people in the days before parole carriers so you can imagine....

Found out years later that a cousin who was a sales rep used to take the pressies up when going to that are?

So my mum fully understands why we want to just stay at home, and doesn't t mind if it's just her and my dad back at theirs in their pjs all day too

MortifiedAdams · 31/08/2013 18:35

Unless the family also have little kids, I am a big beleiver in them coming to you. Small children shouldnt be parted from all their new toys an hour after opening them

Lunch at 12, have the family come.roubd at three ish and stay for the afternoon. Booze and nibbles after ds goes to bed!

BoggyEyedMum · 31/08/2013 18:49

DH, DD and I always stay home on the day - she's 4 now and I've never known her be bored, she's happy enough playing with us and her new toys. My in-laws are over 250 miles away so we travel down there around the 28th to spend new year with them. The rest of the family are an hour or so away so easy to visit on 26th or 27th.

When we married, we had an agreement always to have the day itself at home so that we never felt obliged to "take turns" with either half of the family. We carried this on when DD was born and it works really well for us and there's never an argument over who stays sober enough to drive home

We have an open invitation for all family members to stay with us over Christmas but nobody has ever taken us up on it - maybe secretly we all prefer our own homes on the day?!

jamtoast12 · 31/08/2013 19:12

I'd go visiting. I often spend days at home having pj days and the thought of spending Xmas like that would make it less special for me. We enjoy having about 3 hours play time and then visiting family where they get more presents, enjoy good company and everyone is in a fab mood, wines flowing etc etc!

However we do get 10 days off over Xmas so I think the kids have plenty of days on which to chill at home so should spend Xmas socialising. If I only had a day or two off im not sure but I think I still would purely so it felt special. I'd imagine a few hours into the day, you'd all be a bit bored?

Plus when we visit, we get a fab Xmas dinner with all the trimmings etc without lifting a finger so in terms of quality time, I prob get more time with the kids than if I was at home cooking :)

Actually all our family live within 5 miles though so if they lived further I guess it could be a chore.

iloveholidays · 31/08/2013 19:16

We're planning on spending Christmas day at home this year for the first year. We had DD3 last November so now with the 3 I've managed to convince DP that it's easier to stay at home. We might have visitors in the afternoon but nothing definite yet. I can't wait to properly start our own traditions although do wonder whether the DDs will miss their cousins but I just plan to make it a really fun day.

Original poster

DTisMYdoctor · 31/08/2013 20:25

Thanks for all the comments - I feel a bit happier at the prospect of a Christmas at home. Thanks also for a different perspective JamToast - one of the problems is that we don't really have time for playtime. It really is present opening/breakfast then ready and out. That was a bit easier when DS was younger, but this year I image he'll understandably want to build some lego etc when it's opened.

I'd love to host, but family on both sides all pretty set in their ways and we are the ones that have to travel. Some have children, some don't. others with children do travel, but within walking distance. DH and I are both off over Christmas so we'd still go and visit at other times. It is nice to have Christmas dinner cooked, but tbh I'd really like to cook our own Christmas dinner exactly how I want it just for once.

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Wibblytummy · 31/08/2013 20:55

We had our first Christmas on our own last year and it was truly wonderful. Our DS is a little younger so still needed his nap and routine but we could plan the day about him and what we wanted to do. T'was lovely, we filled the afternoon that was normally filled with visits, with putting shiny new welly boots on and going muddy puddle jumping, setting up some of the new toys, and just both getting some quality play time with him.

We had such a nice time but sadly won't get the chance to do it again this year. The entire family is descending on our house. So I'll be hosting for 10. This terrifies me...

DontmindifIdo · 31/08/2013 21:14

We had our first christmas at home last year as well, although it just meant I was hosting my family. It was great, we ate at times that suited DS so I wasn't faced with the choice of trying to keep a hungry, cranky toddler going until the meal time, or letting him eat when he was hungry then trying to keep a non-hungry child sitting nicely at the dining table. I didn't have to show him all these amazing toys then stick him in the car and go elsewhere. We all had a great time, and my parents seemed to like not having to cook!

JiltedJohnsJulie · 31/08/2013 21:24

Last year it was just me and dd (5) for most of the day. We'd been ill, DS was stuck in bed for most of the day recovering and DH was at work. It was fab. If you get your food from marks you are unlikely to spend that long in the kitchen and actually doing what we wanted and without all the usual fuss was bliss. We had a get together later in the week when everyone was better so that we didn't feel like total hermits

Meglet · 31/08/2013 21:34

Yes! I had my first xmas day at home in 20yrs last year, just me, DS and DD. I put my foot down about going to my stepmums cold house, again. Sadly my house is too small, and lacking a downstairs loo, for visitors to come to us.

We had a lovely day. No tearing out the house mid morning, the kids got to play with their presents and we had a long walk in the afternoon. I'm hoping to do it again this year, we can see family on other days over the festive period.

RNJ3007 · 31/08/2013 21:41

Definitely! We always stayed home as kids, bar one year skiing.

Now DH and I (and now DD and DS) spend it at my parents who live 15-20 mins away. We see his mother on the nearest weekend before. But then, my MIL is not a nice person, and my family invite all of us girls back with other halves.

MrsDavidBowie · 31/08/2013 21:54

Hell on earth would be going to someone else's house.
We go to friends for lunchtime drinks, but have always woken up in our own beds and had lunch at home.
Nobody comes to us.

jester68 · 02/09/2013 11:43

For the last couple of Christmases we have spent it at home just the 4 of us. We love it. So relaxing, don't feel have to cook by a certain point, kids get to play with their toys all day.

We see my partners family day before christmas eve/christmas eve. Then see my family on boxing day (when we have a buffet).

girlywhirly · 02/09/2013 14:48

OP, you will be more relaxed even if you are cooking at home. You won't have all the pressure of being in a large group, or having to get there by a certain time, or having to designate a driver so that one of you can have a glass of wine. The time you save by not travelling will be a bonus, and you can save time on meal preparation by making some things in advance and freezing them.

As Christmas is in the middle of the week this year you have opportunities to visit family and friends either side of the day itself, or they can visit you for a change. This might suit them better as it won't interfere with their 'set ways' about Christmas day.

Haribojoe · 02/09/2013 15:36

We make a point of staying at home so that DC can enjoy playing with their presents.

Anyone is welcome to pop in whenever they like throughout the day.

We stay in our pyjamas, some years DH does a roast/Christmas meal, and some years we graze on nice Christmas treats. DC spend the whole day engrossed by their toys.

It also means DH and I can both have a drink if we fancy as no driving

Original poster

DTisMYdoctor · 04/09/2013 20:55

Thanks everyone. I do like the idea of a wee Buck's Fizz over a leisurely Christmas breakfast, eating when we want to etc. I'd also like to take DS to mass on Christmas Day (he goes to catholic school). I think we'd still dress up in nice clothes (always did when I was growing up) and have a traditional Christmas dinner, but as some have said there are ways to do this without slaving in the kitchen all day. Now I just have to persuade DH and not fall out with family

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