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?

Oh and I don't have a bath so please tell him to hold fire on the bath bombs

Although why kids want a sack and crack glitter explosion is a bit beyond me.

fanny

One of the children hangs the key on the door handle of the front door

Well that seems safe.

What could possibly go wrong?!

alexa

If that was aimed at me, its a magic key...not the actual front door key

Is it an actual key though? Do the kids not realise that it's not actually the front door key?

What do they think it is going to open?

Doesn't Santa come down the chimney?

So many questions....

ITS A MAGIC KEY

I dunno how it works...its fucking magic

Only joking alexa

Ah.

Some peoples kids must be really credulous

I do one. I stopped putting pjs in because they'll get them for Xmas. They have Arthur Xmas DVD that comes out on Xmas eve, same with ''twas night before Christmas book and plate and cup for santa. Also hot chocolate sachets, popcorn, goodbye letter from elf and reindeer food.

What's with the dvds? Did I miss something or are we living in the 21st century now?

I haven't watch a DVD in years.

alexa

yeah you have a point...stupid fucking credulous four year olds!!

What are they on!!

I hope people aren't sprinkling glitter on their gardens

Mines one of those annoying ones that asks loads of questions and won't shut up

I don't know where he gets it from

alexa

Mine are 18, 16 and 14

I wouldn't say they were credulous as such...

alexa are we talking vajazzling here and lady gardens, because that's taking a welcome to Santa to a whole new level

It's dd birthday Xmas eve so the Xmas eve boxes are just a way of saying birthday is over and now it's Christmas- it's new pjs some socks, dvd, bath bombs or bubble bath a mug and hot chocolate. It's there for when we get home from mass.

Doing one for the first time this year. My ds's are getting new pj's, a Christmas theme book and a kinder teddy and chocolate set
Dd(teen!) is getting new pj's, new book (Harry Potter cursed child one) and a hottie (microwave cuddly) and a small chocolate treat (Cadbury snowballs or malt easer reindeer)

I can't wait!

My dcs are 12 and 10 and we've never done it. I'm glad!

We kind of fell into our own Christmas Eve tradition of a family trip to the cinema and a meal out. We all love it. Time together. Not buying physical 'stuff'. No cooking before Xmas day. It's perfect!

I did a 'box' one year when DD1 was around 2, quickly realized I was just making work for myself, thinking of things to buy to put it in it (bath bomb, popcorn, dvd - blah blah blah). You can have traditions and cozy new pjs and watch a movie on Netflix etc but it doesn't need to be presented in a box along with a bunch of other stuff little kids don't particularly care for.

I bought a plain wooden chest which I painted and personalised last year for DS' 1st Christmas. Last year it was his Christmas PJs, a 'My 1st Christmas Dinner' bib, hiis Christmas stocking and a personalised bauble that we made ourselves.
This year I've filled it with a couple of craft activities, his Chrstmas PJs, some bird friendly reindeer dust (home made) and a copy of the night before Christmas (actually pinched from his Christmas gifts, but I thought it would be nice for his bedtime story onChristmas Eve). All things I would have bought/made/done anyway, I just happen to have put them in a box.

It will vary year on year as he gets older what goes in it, but it will always be nice things to spend Christmas Eve doing together, not just more presents and expensive things.

Me and dp are doing Christmas Eve boxes for each other to open when the dc are in bed nothing expensive iv got dp chocolate and bottle of cider some comedy rude socks and a poster of 100 must see films that you scratch off as you go. Also I kept my house key from my childhood home and that's Santas special key.

They get new pyjamas and we often have hot chocolate, but I don't put them in a box. They just get their pyjamas and we'll often but not always watch a movie and often have hot choc whilst watching. I think there is a real urge to commercialise everything now. Your Christmas PJs and movie with your family can be a thing without making it an official THING that comes in a box.

I've done a Christmas Eve box for years now. Since my youngest was a baby and he's 10 now. It wasn't a 'thing' then, with companies selling boxes etc.

I love it.

I'm going to tell the story of our box which I tell on every one of these threads every year so feel free to skip this post!

My DS2 was stillborn - he was due on Christmas Day (but arrived a few weeks earlier). This time of year has massive potential to be a sad and depressing time.

I read someone's post about Christmas Eve boxes and how elves delivered it and I loved it and decided to steal the idea and alter it slightly.

So we have our box delivered by our DS2 to his older and younger brother. They are presents from him to them. Santa lets him borrow some magic to let him do this. (They're too old to believe this now but when they did it made me so happy)

Its a way to bring our DS into Christmas in a happy way. My other two boys talk about this box all year and call the pyjamas in it 'Bobs pyjamas' [not real name] every time they wear them. That also makes me happy.

I do spend a lot of money. I won't apologise for it. I'm not a keeping up with the jones' type or materialistic (no more than the next person). I don't get to buy my DS2 any presents so the money I'd spend on him gets spent on the Christmas Eve box.

I do hate all the insults thrown the way of people who do this box. 1% are probably the showing off on FB types but 99% are just doing something to make their family happy. You might do it buy buying that £400 iPad or by going on summer holidays. There's times we all spend money to make the day happy for our children.

However you do Christmas I hope you all have a great time. 🌲

really touching post OvO - I hope your family continue to enjoy the Christmas Eve boxes that DS2 brings to them and I'm so so sorry you weren't able to have more time with him

OvO, your story is so touching & I think it is wonderful you found a way to include your DS2.

When I was a child we used to get new PJs, toothbrush & bubble bath on Christmas Eve. I think the PJs only started because there is a picture of my sibling and I next to the tree one Christmas morning wearing old t-shirts of my Dad's that we used to wear instead of nightshirts and I had a black eye from falling down the stairs in school & it looked awful. We would hang our stockings, etc. There wasn't a box and the PJs, etc. weren't wrapped

I have a wooden box that gets brought out every year containing: a new set of PJs each (always need new ones, but never Christmas themed), new toothbrush, bubble bath, the same copy of The Night Before Christmas from when I was a child (with taped up spine) and the Christmas DVD we want to watch (if not on Netflix), everyone's stocking & Christmas mug. We use the box to store things like the book, mugs, stockings, Christmas table linen etc. through the year so I don't really see how it is a waste. Aside from the expendable items (toothbrush, bubble bath, PJs once outgrown) everything in there is the same one as last year. I say Christmas table linen because it is the only time we use it but it doesn't have a Christmas theme. Also, it means I am not running around on Christmas Eve trying to find the one stocking that for some unknown reason isn't with the rest & I always know where it all is.