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Christmas

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Original poster

Christmas with only "adults"

52 replies

WaxOnFeckOff · 23/10/2017 13:25

My DC are now 17 and 16 so we really need to do something different with Christmas.

We are not religious and don't live somewhere where there is lots going on.

We've always done a Christmas Eve or roundabout then trip out. It's morphed from going for a swim and meal (to tire them out) to a show and dinner, to cinema and meal. Now not always on Christmas Eve so if we are in on the 24th, we watch a movie and get takeaway pizza.

Obviously the day is no longer taken up with extended present opening, building up and playing with toys, but the last couple of years we have still bought them things such as new video games or equipement and that has used up the day. Then Usually a walk for fresh air and dinner and a board game followed by movie and dessert etc later on.

Nothing they have asked for or are getting this year will use up any time on the day itself, so we will still do dinner and walk and game and movie but a decent part of the day is empty really. :(

There is nowhere locally we can "volunteer" or anything and going away isn't an option as DH only gets Christmas day itself off.

What do all adult households do?

OP posts:
Crispsheets · 23/10/2017 13:26

We have friends round for drinks 12-2. Breaks up the day.

Crispbutty · 23/10/2017 13:30

Just relax in front of the telly, eat nice food and snooze. No need to be doing things all the time.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 23/10/2017 13:45

We don't really have friends nearby, we generally live a quiet life :)

Crispbutty, I suppose we just need to shuffle the day around as it's more the morning time that would be empty and also we don't really watch tv. I just think what'll end up happening is that the boys will treat it like a weekend morning and just stay in their rooms and DH will do some exercise and I'll be by myself.

So, maybe presents/breakfast
then out for a walk
play a game
prepare and have lunch
chill for an hour or so and clear up
then have movie and pudding etc

OP posts:
MadisonAvenue · 23/10/2017 13:57

We're still working on this one ourselves. Our children are 20 and 17, and like you OP we don't really have friends nearby and just my elderly parents who we have here for dinner on the day, it does really feel very much like Groundhog Day. We can't even have a post-dinner snooze as there're my parents to keep entertained/pots of tea to be made.

Boxing Day is dinner with my parents at their house. They're elderly and I realise that they won't be around forever but I really, really would like to shake things up a bit and do something different one year.

CiderwithBuda · 23/10/2017 14:05

Board game?

We have MIL coming (who never shuts up) and just DH and I and DS who is 16.

We usually play a board game and have some champagne and nibbles for an hour or so while the turkey is cooket etc.

Then after dinner we play Trivial Pursuit which is a tradition from my side of the family.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 23/10/2017 14:10

It's tough isn't it?

We only have my Mum, but she is very elderly and infirm now, she refuses to leave her flat and lives a couple of hours away (it's sheltered accommodation (since a fw weeks ago) so not the biggest and she doesn't have a full kitchen - no oven etc). Fortunately I have older brothers and sisters who are nearer so they deal with that and we pop down at somepoint but not on Christmas day.

Dh and I aren't big drinkers but becasue he only gets the day itself of and maybe part of the weekend, we like to be able to have a glass of wine with our dinner without having to abstain becasue we have to drive home.

I'm sure DSs will have their own lives soon enough and DH and I are clear that whilst they will always be welcome to come to us for Christmas, we don't want them to feel any obligation to come or to invite us. I suppose we just want to try to make these last couple of years while we are all under one roof, still a bit special.

Maybe we should make effort to invite someone over?

OP posts:
picklemepopcorn · 23/10/2017 14:13

That sounds like a good programme. What about stockings? We do stockings first, then breakfast, prepare lunch/ have a game, then lunch, presents, movie, pudding etc.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 23/10/2017 14:13

yes, we always play a board game or two of some description. We do this when on holiday and on a monthly basis anyway (we have a steak and game night once a month) so unless we get a new one then it's enjoyable but not that special anymore.

I bought Cards against Humanity last year but decided against using it at the last minute as I felt they were probably still a bit young.

OP posts:
Chocolatecake12 · 23/10/2017 14:15

Do you have friends with children the same age who might be feeling the same way? They are the people you can invite round for drinks and nibbles!
Or get everyone involved in a longer walk - take a flask of hot choc and a box of celebrations to have at the end of the walk.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 23/10/2017 14:16

They tend to do stockings themselves as soon as they wake up and then come down for tree gifts and breakfast. Last year they didn't get up til nearly 10am and I'd been down by myself since 8!

Have you alway waited so long for presents popcorn? I can't imagine that being possible when DC were younger. They still get excited to come down and get their gifts from "Santa" :o

OP posts:
elQuintoConyo · 23/10/2017 14:19

Ask your children what they'd like to do - not trying to sound like a GF, but they might come up with something lovely you could all do together, that may not have crossed your mind.

oldestmumaintheworld · 23/10/2017 14:20

We all go to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve so don't get home til gone 1am, so everyone stays in bed on Christmas Morning. Amble out of rooms at about 10.30. Then brunch, open presents, get dressed (eventually). Go out for drink/have friends over for drinks. Then start cooking dinner which is eaten about 4.30/5.00. Evening play game/watch TV/more drinks/slob about. Boxing Day repeat with interval for long walk and friends over for dinner. Children(?) are 19 and 25. After that children stay home and enjoy themselves with friends. I go away for a week and do the same.

Jeffers3 · 23/10/2017 14:22

We've had adult only christmases for ages.
We tend to play a lot of games, take the dog on a nice, long walk, watch an Xmas film. Often we get lots of pampery bits so tend to do each other's nails, face packs or whatever.

Theseaweed · 23/10/2017 14:33

Could you consider going out to eat on Christmas Day, that way it may make it feel more of an occasion?

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 23/10/2017 14:34

We don't really have many local friends and I guess most people have their own relatives to visit etc. I guess we have sort of isoltaed ourselves although we always really enjoyed our quiet christmases with just us.

OP posts:
MissFlashpants · 23/10/2017 14:37

Go out for dinner? Then you get to come home and lie around on the settee clutching your full bellies Smile

WhatHaveIFound · 23/10/2017 14:39

We're going on holiday for the second year running.

My DC are the only grandchildren (well in this country) of two small families. They don't want to sit around with us adults on Christmas Day so we're heading to to the sun instead.

We're going on an organised adventure holiday so teen company for them and grown up company for us.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 23/10/2017 14:42

We've gone out to eat before but many moons ago, we didn't enjoy it really.

We actually enjoy preparing and eating the dinner, DH and I do it together and really like it and it always tastes better than anything I've eaten out at anyway.

Lauging at the nails and facepacks, not sure I'd be able to persuade my teenage boys to engage in that :)

I agree with asking them but not hopeful of replies. DS1 is the worst - he is an egnima, no-one really knows anything about him as he gives away nothing! DS2 and I have been trying to find out what music he likes for years with no joy! Its become a game for him now. We keep thinking that one day we'll go into his room and it will be completely empty and he'll have moved out and we'll be none the wiser. DS2 would be happy to sit in his room and practice his guitar.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 23/10/2017 14:45

We'll never be able to go on holiday. DH works in NHS and doesn't even know for certain until just before Christmas what he will get off. He tends to assume Christmas day as he's always had it. The bit he works in has only a skeleton staff in on that day

OP posts:
drspouse · 23/10/2017 14:51

We all go to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve so don't get home til gone 1am

That's what we did when I was a teen. Most of the ones who never went to church liked it too.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 23/10/2017 14:54

I'm not just not religious, I am really not religious/anti religious, as are the rest of the family so that's not going to be an option at all. :)

OP posts:
Ahardmanisgoodtofind · 23/10/2017 14:55

Lie in. Big breakfast with lots champagne. Open presents. Give the boys a dish to prepare, my DM and D.aunt did this to us years ago and it was hilarious and clever in equal measure, we had such a laugh and it gave us all something to do together. We still talk of the Yorkshire pudding pancakes my cousin made Grin, and the cranberry sauce made with blueberries because my other cousin was very hungover and though blue berries and cranberry were interchangeable. Then dinner. Nice walk, hot toddy on return then stick music on bust out some games and more champagne. Chocolate and film to fall asleep finish off

drspouse · 23/10/2017 14:56

In that case the traditional thing to do is to go for a Chinese meal - at least if you're in the US and really don't celebrate Christmas that's what you do!

Ahardmanisgoodtofind · 23/10/2017 14:56

In between we faffed with presents but mostly we saved them for the sheer tedious hell that was boxing day.

ButFirstTea · 23/10/2017 15:00

I'm 30 and my brother is in his 20s, we both go home every Christmas and after opening presents with our parents we all just sit around and chat, have a glass of prosecco and eat some chocolates until it's time to start making dinner! When you live away it's nice to actually spend time together so we never plan anything to do during the day.

We get up and go downstairs around 8 or 9, all of us open our presents, we have a nice breakfast and open some prosecco and then put the TV on and chat, maybe read a new book or my brother will usually mess around on the playstation. Then we all help with dinner prep, eat, and collapse in front of the TV for a few hours before it's time to get the evening buffet out!

This year my boyfriend will be coming for the first time as we got a puppy a few months ago so I imagine most of the day will revolve around him!

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