ways of making the day special

[Misty9]

It's our little family of four for Christmas this year, ds, 3.2, and dd who'll be 8 months. My childhood Christmasses involved lots of extended family and other children, of which I have fond memories.

So how do we stop the day being like any other spent looking after two young children? I suggested going out for Christmas lunch but that was vetoed as he likes spending hours in the kitchen cooking.

Staggered present opening? Lots of alcohol?!

What about finding a child friendly church service?

A xmas movie in the av?

A wee walk / scoot for the 3 yo? To the park with a flask of hot choc?

Special things from my Christmases in childhood (two parents, two DCs):

Tree and table presents from anonymous (small things, e.g. a book or CD) to be unwrapped during teatime and lunch respectively;

Eating in the living room all day (normally banned - any rules like this you can relax... chocolate for breakfast?);

Christmas tea (leftovers plus hot mince pies) in front of the teatime special, usually Dr Who in recent years

Santa! Waking up to stockings and dragging them into my parents room, all together in one bed to unwrap (mostly during primary school);

Now I'm an adult with DP we do a Christmas hamper on Christmas Eve.

Special food that we only have on Christmas Day/Eve etc.

How about a Christmas walk?

Thanks, opening stocking presents was a big part of my childhood Christmas too :) i think ds is old enough this year to get it so I'm excited about his stocking.

I like the Christmas walk idea, and chocolate for breakfast is a given is it not?

I guess it's more about attitude? Praying for a half decent night preceding the big day, else I'll struggle big time to get in the spirit!

Invite people round for sherry before lunch? Or at ant time of the day really.

We always went from house to house on Christmas morning when I was a kid.

We always have just us - me, DH, Ds1 aged 5 and DS2 aged nearly 3 - on the day then we have GPs and their grown up brothers (my step DSs) on boxing day.

If DS has a scooter or bike could you help him decorate it with tinsel etc before you go out. Also our local playground is always busy Christmas morning as the children still have to get out, could you meet one of his friends there in the morning (with your hot chocolate )

I've done treasure hunts for my DH's Christmas presents before - clues for little gifts that DS1 (5) can help answer so he gets v excited and dashes off to find them (and also finds a choc coin or something for him and his little brother). Small children love feeling clever that they've worked out the clue and rushing off to find the present, with or without help (my clues are v v easy - definitely not Times cryptic crossword standard!!)

Also sounds obvious but it's so easy at Christmas to end up having festive food you don't really like because it's traditional, you really have got a great opportunity to do it your way for food and everything else

I hope you all have a fabulous day.

Also you may already do this but the Norad Santa tracking thing is great fun - it's set up by some US defence dept thing. You track Santa on Christmas Eve online as he delivers presents around the world. Www.noradsanta.org I think.

We were just the 4 (and then 5) of us on Christmas Day for years and yeah it is a bit weird, though I did love it.

We always had church for a couple of hours in the morning so had at least been out of the house. I'd do a walk/scoot/cycle for sure.

We paired the lunch down to starter on trays/platters in the lounge, just main course at the table and dessert several hours later. And (for once) we let the kids leave the table once they'd had enough.

Definitely stagger the gift opening. Get really child-friendly crackers (a wind up race thingy?) and maybe a colour in table cloth?

I still make a list and let everyone choose their favourite crisps/sweets/drinks.

Bumped for matb1 :)

Definitely agree with staggering the presents. We always did FC presents in bed with mum and dad, then downstairs for a special breakfast, and tree presents after breakfast (from us)

Afternoons you can let the children play with toys. We don't have the tv on on Christmas Day at all, but what makes it special I think is that the children get to play with their toys and total undivided attention from us.

We always do a board game on Christmas Day, and whilst your children are a but young for that - you could do simple games: snap, hungry hippos those sort of games your eldest should be able to play.

As important as the presents, I feel is the time spent with family. Having nothing else to do, no distractions, just enjoying time together.