Easiest Christmas dinner ever ever ever - any tips & ideas?

[MiscellaneousAssortment]

I realize my situation isn't one that lots of people will say 'yes that's me and we do X, x and x'...

But I'm hoping (pleading!) that the expert Christmassers of mumsnet will have some ideas to share?!

I'll be putting on Christmas this year, and not sure how I'm going to manage, but its important that I make this special somehow...

Long story short, how do I do a really proper Christmas dinner without killing myself?

I am disabled (as of 5 yrs ago), DS is 5yrs old, and my mother will be staying too (unfortuneately).

I have carers everyday, except not for Xmas day or Boxing Day.

This year will be HARD. My father died last year over Christmas. Last year was spent staying at friends close to the hospital and it was awful. I need to give DS better Christmas memories and make him feel normal for a while.

My mother is coming to stay, which will be important to DS, although I have a terrible relationship with her. Incredibly unstable and unpleasant person. If things were more normal I'd have cut her off years ago. She won't be helping at all. At best I hope she will sit with DS whilst I go for a lie down.

Soooo, easiest Christmas ever? And how to not get left with a unusable kitchen after? Though bulk of clearing up can wait til carers return day after Boxing Day...

Go out for Xmas lunch. Job done!
( and DM will prob be better behaved too...)

Agree with destinysdaughter, go out for stress free Christmas Lunch! So relaxing and DM will be better behaved in public.

I really want to go to a hotel restaurant for lunch this year, it's lovely getting dressed up and having a delicious meal with hotel fairy lights and decorations and the atmosphere that goes with that. Then home, cosy in front of telly with new presents, chocolates and you can even buy in "leftovers" which is what I'd do (chipolatas, roast potatoes) just I case you need more .

I remember when I was a child mum took us to a local hotel when our house flooded one year and it was wonderful! Lots of other children there and it felt really special because of the happy holiday atmosphere and Santa came round with a little present for everyone.

Sounds lovely :)

I'm mostly bed bound so even getting to my kitchen to cook and get the food on the table will be an exercise of Herculean proportion.

Ah I'm sorry I didn't read properly. You have some sound ideas there from everyone. I hadn't heard of Cook it looks fantastic! Hope you have a lovely day together.

Sounds like a plan Miscellaneous! I love the idea of crackers at every meal. DS will love the hats, and the jokes, and the toys. Only you can judge whether his joy will win out over your memories, but I will say: there are at least 6 crackers in a pack. Better to enjoy them all than have a sad half a pack of crackers left over maybe?

I think please yourselves, and the traditions will come from that. The joy of our smoked salmon breakfasts is that we tried it, and everyone loved it and requested every year, so now we can't possibly have christmas without it. That's how family traditions come about really IMO, not via Google. If you like mince pies, do a mince pie thing. If you like hot chocolate with marshmallows, do that. DS will be at home with his mum and granny, and the magic of father christmas bringing presents. He'll have a lovely day.

This is your Christmas in your home with your family. At this moment you are in a wonderful position of creating all the tradditions to build on for future years. Can I ask why you are focused on needing to cook if its going to knock you out for the day?

We all have our limitations and it sounds as though physically cooking is going to take you to yours. If doing the meal yourself is really important to you from a pride and pleasure point of view go for it but if its because its what you think Christmas is about then I'd like to just question your logic a little.

Various takeaways near me are doing hot Christmas lunch delivered from around £10 a head, kids often half price.

Could this be an option worth considering if it'd give you more time to enjoy watching your son play and unwrap gifts, snuggle up to soppy Christmas telly and make wish lists for the year ahead?

For easy Christmas traditions, see if Round Table, Rotary or Lions do a Santa Sleigh in your area. DH does it with Round Tanle where we are and they've gone out of their way to stop at the houses of children who've had a tough time. A personal shoutout from Santa is pretty special!

Wishing you and your boy a very happy and special Christmas.

That's ok. I'd love to be able to go out. Would solve the intensity of the situation as well, as I find it difficult to control my temper when she's just THERE all the time being her, and that was before my dad died, so god knows that it will be like this year!

I wish she'd take DS to church or something just to get outside and change the tempo of the day, but I know she won't.

Ugh vile woman. I hate Christmas! It's a test of patience at the best of times, but now it feels like an endurance test emotionally and physically.

Writing this has reminded me though that although food will be a big part of Christmas, I should space out anything I really want to eat myself, as I won't actually be able to eat it at the time... I think that would make me feel sad that I'll miss something I'm trying to do for me

So no special Boxing Day meal for me, just something DS & my mother will like and can be done in the microwave.

I've decided to move her from the usual sleeping in the lounge arrangement, as this will be a flash point I can avoid - she'll be expecting me to make and pack away her bed & mattress every day, (errr, clue: seriously disabled woman can't actually do that!) And as I can't walk on / get across unsteady / squishy surfaces so I won't be able to get in the lounge properly.

So, she'll be in DS room, though the mattress will take up the whole room, which is why that's not been done before... but DS can co sleep with me which he'll love and gives me some built in alone time with DS whilst lying down, which will be sorely needed!

Do you potential have a friend who could come and do the work help with the promise of bountious riches thanks?