Am I being a Grinch?

[rackhampearl]

I have two DD ages 2 and 5 and I’ve always loved Christmas. I do trim the house up, we make decorations for the tree from pine cones ect (as well as our shop decs), watch Christmas films have Hot Choc and games nights throughout December. However, I keep seeing threads regarding Christmas Eve Boxes, December 1st Boxes and Luxury/Toy/Gift advent calendars. See, I don’t bother with any of this, and I don’t mind anyone that does, but have the times changed THAT much?? Should I be doing more and buying more? I would hate my kids to be going to school and feeling sad and that I’m stingy because all the kids are talking about a new treat everyday during December. We wear normal pjs sometimes new but not every year, we drink from normal cups and Santa eats his mince pie from a normal kitchen plate, nothing decorated or jazzy. We keep on our normal bedding and we buy a simple advent calender. Am I alone in this ? Or does anyone else do things a little more basic? I’m finding it hard to understand these new ‘traditions’ as each year passes.

We have a book advent calendar that I bring out each year. It tells a part of the story each day.

Is that what a book advent calendar is? I thought it was a calendar that had a new book behind each window.

I have an advent calendar which has a tiny book in each window. I got it from St Paul's Bookshop - now known as Pauline Books and Media - a few years ago. Each little book has a gold loop on it and you hang it on the tree after reading it. This is of course dependent on you putting your tree up on 1st December!

It has a small book for each day, like apostropheuse’s. I probably didn’t explain it too well. Ours is the nutcracker. I think it must be American, as they get the girl’s name wrong.

I think ours is American too - I "adapt" some of the language when reading it aloud to the grandchildren. 😁

The excitement and specialness of Christmas is about what you do as a family and the memories you make together, whatever those are. The elf on the shelf business has taken off recently but I just say every household does things differently if it comes up, or oh that’s nice. But it doesn’t really because we’re too busy with our own stuff. Comparison is the thief of joy, is that the saying?

I make a little thing of Dec 1st, bringing out their wooden calendars (one each this year only because someone gave me a Lakeland voucher), a basket of Christmas books from previous years, a treaty breakfast we don’t usually have time for and some Christmas napkins (usually from the previous year) on the table. It’s just the signal it’s round the corner and the crafts and music etc can begin.

But do what you want and enjoy it, your kids will remember and cherish the oddest things that you didn’t even think of! I remember my ds last year saying “can we do it exactly the same as last year?” and he had nothing specific in mind, just the whole feel of it, all the little things that make it up. He wasn’t asking for elf on the shelf because Tommy does it. He wanted our traditions.

I really don't see why what other's choose to do during Christmas should affect how you feel about your own Christmas?

All children feel left out at some point during their lives. It happens. And with some children it happens a lot. Toys, sports equipment, phones, tablets, laptops, Xbox games - it's endless. One parent will say yes and another will say "no".

If parents choose to do 1 Dec boxes and Christmas Eve boxes, or one gift a day for December then that's entirely their prerogative!!! I just don't understand why it's always seen as a bad thing by others who choose something different?? Just for the record I don't do either 1 Dec or 24 Dec boxes, nor do i do Advent Calendars with gifts (just bog-standard chocs) but if other parents choose to do things differently it truly has zero affect on me whatsoever!? I think it's quite sweet actually, and they're doing Christmas the way they choose, not the way others think it should be done!!

If it doesn't directly affect you then it really shouldn't even be a second thought.

Your family Christmas sounds lovely. Don't change it!

What a lovely, lovely thread

Thank you so much for posting this OP. I really needed to see this today amongst all the competitive consumption and constant "what's everyone else doing, getting, spending?" threads.

I don't know what's up with me, but this is so much more like real Christmas focussed on people, it's made me cry. Going soft in my old age

And now I've nearly made myself late, but I'll place mark for now. 🎄

I like the sound of the advent book calendars.