being a bit of a scrooge??

[elliefant]

I have four grown up children and my surprise baby (16 months). When my older children were young we did the whole magical christmas stuff and spend a fortune!! This year due to various circumstances it will just be me and a 16yr old plus the baby. I do not intend on putting up any decorations or a tree, my 16yr old just wants clothes etc as gifts and a roast dinner lol and probably will not surface from her room until lunch time!
I have bought the baby some new toys and will give them to her as and when not necessarily on xmas day morning!!
Has any-one else had an xmas like this or am I just mean??

Sounds fine with me :)

At 16 months old the baby really isn't going to care. In my opinion, the most important part of the day is that you are all together and enjoying yourself :)

If you have any decorations already I would put those up to add to the Xmas spirit.
Christmas music is always great, if you haven't any Xmas CDs then carols on the radio or most radio stations play non stop Xmas music anyway.
Have a lovely time, it sounds perfect

Thank you ladies, I suppose we will be inundated with christmas by the tv anyway but the carols sound fun the baby will prob enjoy those lol!!!! I actually think it will be quite a nice relaxed day x

I genuinely don't think you have to spend a fortune to have a magical Christmas. I don't think what you're describing sounds like a scrooge, just not very celebratory, or as if you're making any effort.

I think your 16 month won't know what they're missing if you don't put up a tree or open presents on Christmas morning, but I think that is different to them not caring. My DS2 was 17 months last Christmas. He certainly had no concept of what Christmas was all about in advance, but he did love every minute of it. He loved the tree, and the lights. He loved hearing Christmas carols and songs. He loved coming downstairs on Christmas morning to open his presents.

As for your 16 year old. TBH, you have 2 choices, involve her or let her opt out, but her input isn't necessary for a lovely day for your little baby.

There are so few years where Christmas is truly magical for kids, and your 16 month old is definitely able to enjoy that magic. I would be loathe to forego it, particularly when it was something I had been prepared to do for my other children.

I would put a tree up and attempt a bit of Christmas magic for both children, the 16 month old will love twinkly lights and surely the 16 year old will expect some Christmas atmosphere? Why not all put tree and decorations up Christmas Eve together? I don't think you are mean but think you will feel sad and regret it afterwards!

It doesn't make you sound Scrooge like, but it doesn't sound particularly joyous. Presumably you have decorations from previous year's, is there a reason that you don't want them up this year ? Sounds a bit sad to be truthful. Though your youngest won't know the difference and the 16 year old I presume doesn't care, or you would put decorations up, so don't if you don't want to, don't. Sometimes I think a low key Christmas would do everyone good.

There's nothing at all wrong with a low key Christmas if you're truly happy with that. I wonder though if your 16yo is just feigning indifference in the way that teenagers sometimes do Perhaps if you set aside an hour or two before Christmas to put up a tree together (if she's up for it) you might find she's more into it than she pretends? Might be a lovely family thing to do. You don't need masses of decorations/presents/food but like previous posters you might feel sad in the future when you look back.

*like previous posters SAID (wayyy too early in the morning )

My babies always enjoyed what we call the "sparklies". Take the baby to see the lights or the tree in the supermarket.

Can you ask 16 DD to plan the afternoon/evening with you

I used to take the dc to b and q at that age to see the Christmas lights and they loved it. There might be some local events at a nearby church where your lo can get a bit of the Christmas magic. If decorations don't matter to you then I don't see why you should bother. Stick some Christmas music on and you don't need to splash out to enjoy it all.

It seems a bit miserable for your 16 year old. Mine would be really disappointed if we didn't have a tree or decorations. There's a big difference between 'low key' and not making an effort

Milk my DD is 17 and possibly more excited about Christmas now than when she was little - when she was 6 or 7 we used to get bored of waiting for her to wake up on Christmas morning so used to have to go and wake her at about 9am, now she's up by 4 (although thankfully stays in her room listening to carols and watching Christmas cartoons until a more reasonable hour ). OP are you sure yours wouldn't be more into it if you were? Not that you have to be of course, but your post sounds so sad

Do the tree - but do it late, 20th or so. Your 16 year old is probably doing that thing when they pretend anything they associate with childhood is rubbish, even if they quite kind of like it.

It sounds like you are not going to celebrate Christmas as all rather than to be low key. If that's what the 16 year old wants, it's fine as the LO is too young to notice the difference.

I would have been very disappointed at 16 if my parents had decided not to put up any decorations. Twinkly lights - what's not to like?

Is there a back story as to why your 3 other child ldren aren't coming and have you gone into self protection mode?