Do you like Christmas Eve boxes?

[lottieandmia22]

I'm not sure whether to do one this year. I kind of feel that present giving should be on Christmas Day. OTOH it's making the most of Christmas perhaps?

Not even sure what this is?

Tbh on Christmas Eve I'm knee deep in wrapping paper whilst keeping an eye on all the food (ham/soup/veg etc) I'm prepping before the hoards descend on Christmas Day

The idea of having "time" on Christmas Eve isn't something I've experienced for 10 years since I ended up as the family host for the main event

Ours contains only a set of new PJs, the santa key that comes out every year, the santa plate, a sweet treat, a bath bomb and a letter from the elves saying goodbye and that the kids are on the Nice List. So not pre-empting new toys expected the following day. Practical stuff, some of which is used every year.

Each to their own. I did a small version once with new pjs and a dvd. Kids were unimpressed that they weren't getting chocolate and so now I just give them a bag of chocolate coins on Christmas Eve instead and we all watch a film or play a game together. I think the tradition of doing things together will be what they remember more than what we give them.

I do mine on the 1st now (18yo and 15.6yo)

The CEH is a nice winding down tactic.
We went for a walk or feed reindeer or ducks and the CEH had magically appeared by the fireplace when we got back.

PJs, slippers, bath bomb, sweets. Things they need anyway and something they want to use to have the evening bath and get them off to bed

Nope. Just more commercial materialistic shite that we are all meant to do.....

My Dc mentioned this the other day and I was a bit .
Some people I know put £50 worth of toys and books and games and dvds in there which seems a bit of a con when the next day they will be getting loads.

I love the idea. This will be the first time we do it - I'm putting pyjamas and a book (DD gets a really lovely pop-up of The Night Before Christmas, and DS a new book by a favourite writer, which he doesn't know exists). I got them to choose a really nice new tree decoration a month ago, so those will go in the box for each to hang, too. And I've bought some bauble shaped iced biscuits for them to hang on the tree before bed, knowing they can eat them when they wake up. That box will go between their own boxes as an activity to do together.

Idea is they hang the biscuits and their new glass decoration, then hang their stockings, and then go to bed with their new book and new pyjamas. They need PJs anyway, and the books are ones I would buy, box or not. And I always get a tree decoration for each child every year anyway. The box just makes the whole thing a sort of tradition for them to remember in years to come, instead of bits I do anyway, that get lost in the shuffle.

I wouldn't buy a bunch of presents, though. No CDs or chocolate or anything. Presents are for the actual day. I just like the whole Night Before Christmas idea of it.

I don't do a Christmas Eve box but I do a Christmas Eve treasure hunt which results in a new pair of PJ's and usually a chocolate treat. She's now nearly 15 and clues are getting increasingly hard! I've done twitter clues, foreign language clues, maths clues... think I may be googling for help this year....

The only thing that has ever happened here is that the elves appear at some time on Christmas Eve and put new pyjamas for the children. Even that is magical in the days of “but you haven’t had time to do it so how did they get there?!”

I always do one. I use a small sack each.
Ticket for the panto that afternoon
New clothes for the panto
Money to buy a light there
Bath bomb
Pjs
Chocolate
New DVD
Annual
Soft toy

Bloody hell porkless. That's an absolute minimum of £40 each, assuming a very cheap panto!

I do one. It just has pj's, nice xmas nibbles, hot choc and a xmas book for little d's. Sometimes something alcoholic for the grown ups appears in there. It magically appears by the front door and is found on the way back in from christingle. It's only stuff they'd get anyway and is a bit of fun.

DS has a present on Christmas Eve of new pjs ( not necessarily Christmas ones), chocolate and a bath bomb. This year he also has the Paddington book from M&S. it’s not from Santa, actually this year my sister and nieces are coming over on Christmas Eve and I’ve bought their pjs and my sister has bought ds’s. I’ve bought the chocolate and Paddington books and she’s bought the bath bomb.

I have one! I know a lot roll their eyes at Xmas eve boxes but I had a rubbish childhood and want to make it amazing for my kids.

We have in ours, PJs, a book, a DVD (although we may end up picking summit off Netflix instant), a Christmas bathbomb, some baking utensils as a hint to what we're doing that day, and choccies.

We are going to make santas mince pie and maybe some cookies, and have a proper family day

Ours has family puzzle which gets done between Christmas day and New Year, PJS for everyone so that they look tidy in photos Christmas morning, Night before Christmas book which gets used every year. This year we have a kit from Lakeland to make biscuits that sit on the side of your mug.

Before anyone shouts modern commercialism gone mad my eldest is in her twenties

No. Never done them, never will. I only read about them on MN. And I don't like the idea.

I just do pjs and then this year I’ve got them a bowl and cup each and a pack of cookies to make for Santa.

My oldest is16 and I started a Christmas Eve bag when she was about 3. The original idea was to keep her entertained so I had time to tidy up & prep food for Christmas visitors. We usually have DVD of a Christmas movie, some easy crafty thing eg paper chains, couple of books, some snacks eg popcorn for the movie, hot chocolate. Have added new pj's in recent years.

We do pjs but no actual box.

We do just pjs too, then the kids can wear them when they wake up Xmas morning.

I don’t like them. It adds in even more materialism and it’s just not needed to make kids happy and excited. We have our own traditions on Christmas eve, a special (but normal sized) meal, church and a film. When dd was little we used to watch norad and do the whole stocking, mince pie thing too. Her anticipation and excitement over that was gorgeous.

Just new pjs and slippers here and not Christmas ones - for all year use ! Used to give them pjs and slippers as part of Xmas presents but they are apparently much more exciting on Christmas eve !!

Nopety nope.

But we have the shitting log that craps out crafts, chocolate, the Christmas torch and Polar Express on Christmas Eve. Same stuff every year.

Pyjamas are bought when needed.

I've got a Christmassy cardboard box this year. Inside it is the stuff which comes out every year, so the sacks, stockings and Santa plate. I'll also add the Christmas PJs which will then get added to their collection of PJs for winter wear.

I won't do chocolate, DVD, hot chocolate or bath bomb type things that others add, just through personal preference.

The box will be useful to store the stuff in when it's in the attic, if nothing else!

I just get a cardboard box and ribbon. We put in pj’s each, a hot chocolate sachet each, bubble bath and a bath bomb each, a book, reindeer food and a teddy each. We put all of it into one box and then let them sort through it and pick out what’s there’s.