Erm, now 3 for Christmas Day at our home not 11 at ILs

[MsIngaFewmarbles]

ILs have decided not to host Christmas this year, which is no problem in itself but I am worried it might be a bit flat for 5yo DS. His DSisters are all at their other parents for the actual day this year so it will just be DH, me and him. Does anyone have ideas for keeping it magical for him and not exhausting for us?

[CMOTDibbler]

We've previously really enjoyed it being the 3 of us, and look forward to it again this year. Since theres no one else to worry about, we do what we want in terms of food, and ds has been particularly impressed with having a meal entirely of puddings

[MsIngaFewmarbles]

A meal entirely of puddings???? :) I will do a traditional Christmas dinner as DH and I both love it and mostly I can do it in advance so the morning is chucking everything in the oven and reheating.

It does mean DS can open and play with his toys though, last year he couldn't play with them as there 'wasn't enough room'

[BettyFocker]

We've done the 3 of us for the past two years. DS opens his presents, I cook breakfast while DP starts assembling toys. Then I get on with dinner with a bottle of prosecco while DP plays with DS and his new toys and I pop in every now and then. After dinner, we all relax and stuff our faces with chocolate! I love it. Definitely doesn't feel flat.

We start with a Christmas Eve hamper to get DS excited and then throughout the day, his new toys are more than enough to keep the excitement going.

[PesoPenguin]

Can you get to see any family on Christmas day? We are on our own (same as you, there's me, Dh and 5yo ds) for the morning and dinner but we'll see SIL, her children and PILs in the morning and dsis, Bil, their children and my parents in the evening, which breaks it up a bit. It's never flat for ds, but he knows no difference as he's an only child. I suspect it'll be his sisters your ds misses the most. Is there anything he'd love but they'd hate?

[DoItTooJulia]

My answer would be the obligatory early morning present opening and a lazy loll around while he plays with his toys for a while.

After breakfast, wrap up and go for a wintry walk somewhere, kick some leaves, stretch your legs, then home for lunch and movies and toys.

You could invite another family around for a drink early evening, or find a carol service or something to break up the afternoon/ early evening for an hour?

Also make sure he gets jellibaff and bath crayons or mouldable bath soap and a new toothbrush so he really wants a bath, and coz he will have been up so early, early ish to bed!

[ilovehotsauce]

Could you make it about him?

So let him pick Xmas breakfast and pudding what Christmas movies to watch Xmas hamper on Christmas Eve and let him really enjoy himself without his dsisters? That would make most children happy and make the day fun.

[MsIngaFewmarbles]

I think I might invite a couple of people round for early evening drinks. The PIL are saying that as BIL and his family aren't coming that they will have the day to themselves and we will go and see them the next day with all the DC. BIL and family and all of my family too far away for a visit for a couple of hours.

I do like the idea of knocking together lunch in the company of prosecco and carols whilst DH builds toys with DS :)

[MsIngaFewmarbles]

Of course the dogs will need at least a little walk as well which he loves.

[MsIngaFewmarbles]

You're right that he will miss his sisters the most but usually his cousin and lots of adoring adults fill the gap a bit.

[marne2]

We love having christmas on our own, means there's no stress of entertaining others, no rush to get out of your pj's and you can eat whatever and whenever you like .

[Mercedes519]

Also, you don't have to open all the presents at once. We open one each and then open the toy, play with it and when they get bored move onto the next. It means we finish opening them all by about 5pm and it's nearly bedtime.

We do see all relatives just before Christmas and swap gifts and don't open them so there is always a big pile to open.

Other than that we don't get dressed, don't fuss about what they eat and just generally relax. You might just get to like it!

[Whattheduck]

Just the three of us this year.my dd's 9.we spent 2012 just the three of us and it was great.
We had our christmas dinner on christmas eve and then on christmas day we had a really nice cooked brunch.at teatime we had baked potatoes with gammon that had been in the slow cooker all day and salad.
The day was lovely and relaxing and we could sit and watch tv,play games,read without having to entertain other people