Christmas Day routine

[osa20]

What's your Christmas Day routine?

My DS will be almost 2. We don't have a big family at all. I'm just wondering what your routines are - especially the people with smaller families - to make sure the day is fun-filled and exciting for DS!

Last Christmas was the first Christmas ever where it was just the 4 of us and we loved it so much we don’t want to change that. So just the 4 of us now on Christmas Day for the foreseeable future.

So the Kids wake up about 6am and come jump on our bed with the stockings they found on the end of their beds. DH goes and makes coffee while the dc play with their bits and pieces.

Then it’s into the lounge to open other gifts. We FaceTime both the Grandma’s (different country to us) so the dc can excitedly show them what they have received. At some point we have breakfast and then spend the morning lounging around, playing with toys and having fun.

Around lunchtime we pack up a bit of a picnic and head to the beach for a few hours. It’s always busy on Christmas Day and there’s a great atmosphere.

Late afternoon we go home, open a bottle of wine and chuck some food on the bbq for dinner, we usually eat outside in the garden.

Then it’s playing new board games or reading new books together until the dc can no longer keep their eyes open.

The whole day is just so relaxed and fun now. I love it. I can’t wait for this year.

We have no other family so Christmas day is just the 6 of us and we love it that way. The dc wake (or more accurately dh wakes them) at about 6am. They either open the stocking on the end of the bed or they come up to our room.

We then open the gifts from santa and then the rest of the day is spent eating and playing. We have our Christmas dinner spread out so the dc so not get bored.

Late afternoon we will go for a walk to dust off the cobwebs but other than that we hibernate in the house eating and playing!

So our routine is very relaxed! We get woken about 5.30/6am most mornings by our youngest due to her Sen so we're all up at the crack of dawn, we have breakfast and a cuppa, then open presents, ring my dd's grandparents and aunt to thank them. Lunch is usually 2 pm then we spend the rest of the day lounging about in a meat coma watching TV. We don't really have dinner we have snacks type food 😁

When I lived at home my parents would wait for my bro and I to wake then we'd all go downstairs as a family and take turns opening a present each :) parents last haha!
Then breakfast (nothing special just a normal breakie) and feel really good for ages. I love Christmas!
Nanny come round, Christmas dinner around 2 then presents from grandparents and other family.

Finish the day with random festive foods- posh biscuits etc and early night

Now I've moved out with my boyfriend (1st Christmas together last year!) we spent the morning together all romantically and gave eachother presents then at 10.30 headed to our parents houses separately :)

Christmas eve we make reindeer dust (oats, edible icing and sugar) sprinkle it in back garden. Leave mince pie and a drink for Santa.

Christmas day up at 6ish downstairs to open gifts. My parents come at 11am for rolls and sausage and tea and to join in excitement with kids then we head to MILs at 2ish for dinner (or pop into MIL then host Christmas dinner for my family the alternate year).

Kids love being in til 2ish then happy to a visit family, have dinner and play games.

Dd is 9 Our Xmas day goes something like this-
Dd comes into our bedroom at 7ish (she sets her alarm so she doesn't wake up too early and be grumpy for the rest of the day 😍)
She opens her stocking presents
I put the oven on and make bacon and pancakes
While that's cooking dd starts opening presents.
We stop for breakfast and a Lego building break.
Carry on with presents
We all get dressed and ready to go to my mums
At 11ish we walk to my mums
We do presents at my mum's
Start on the alcohol
We have lunch
Feck about at the table for a bit
Play a board game/fun game dd has got
Make buffet food
Neghbours and my inlaws come round for a Xmas day party.
Get slowly drunk
stagger walk home at 11ish
Go to bed

DS will be 18mo at Christmas
Wake up as normal, breakfast.
His dad comes round for Christmas presents.
Off to my families house for lunch and inner. Off to his dads house on the evening where he gets it all over again on Boxing Day 😊

We have one DS who is now 6.
Wake up whenever he does- early - maybe 6? Stockings in bed. We each have one and take it in turns to open a present.
Downstairs for a few main Santa presents. I like to spread opening over the whole day. DS has been ok so far as he’s been happy playing with his big present.
Nice breakfast - maybe pain au chocolat.
I have a soak in the bath, DH has a shower, all get ready. Tend to walk to the swings if it’s fine.
My parents and MIL arrive about 11-11.30. Champagne, DS shows them his presents and opens a few more.
At 12 we have first course- usually smoked salmon salad.
More fizz, presents, playing. 3pm second course- usually roast.
This year we are going to have hot roast pork sandwiches at noon and afternoon tea at 3ish for a change - DS request.
We like those crackers that are a game- last year Guess Who.
Grandparents leave at 6ish. Bath and bed for DS, me in PJs, watch Call the Midwife, bed. [santa]

I’m coming here ☝️☝️☝️☝️ for Christmas!!

When I was young (and now to be honest)

I'd wake up whenever and open my stocking and then play with stocking bits and existing toys. Then lunch and tree presents after lunch. I think it worked well for me as a child because it kept the magic alive throughout the day! :)

Last year the DC woke at normal time (they were 3 and 4) about 7am and opened their stockings, bringing them into us in bed.

We then sent a text to the in laws to say the DC were awake and to come over for breakfast / the present opening.

Breakfast was bacon sandwiches and Nigella's morning muffins and we ate these while the DC opened their presents. Then it's all about building / playing with the presents.

We have buffet / party food throughout the day so we don't interrupt playing time and then have a roast on Boxing Day. It works for us!

I havd 5 children ,we have to wake our kids up about 8 ish we go pick up my mum to watch the kids open gifts we let them open them all at once.we have breakfast whatever anyone wants but im thinking a north pole breakfast this year & keep that up.my husband cooks he is a chef and i make up toys clean and get everyone ready, my brother comes around
With his kids. We have a normal xmas lunch and watch xmas tv.its a crazy fast day so thats all we manage to fit in x

Since the kids were born we have done the usual - up, presents, breakfast, get dressed and go to MILs or start cooking if we have everyone to us, eat at 2 then drinks, games etc.

Last year we decided we wanted a change as I was bored of the whole thing. We went to New York for a week over xmas which was great. This year we are doing a big lunch on xmas eve for DHs family then spending xmas day just us and the DC at home, PJs all day and a buffet lunch plus lots of xmas films. I can't wait to be honest!

We have 3 primary school age children. They usually get up anywhere between 5.30am and 7am. They come into our bed with their stockings and we have fun opening them. We make sure everyone goes and uses the bathroom (as otherwise they'll forget and hold it in during gift opening).

We then go downstairs and open all the gifts under the tree. Every year we drop chocolate coins all over the stairs and landing like they've fallen out Santa's pocket and the kids collect them in their stockings and sometimes that's almost the most magical part of the morning.

After gift open we'll send the kids to get cleaned up and then they'll play whilst myself and DH sort the turkey and have a cuppa. We usually have Turkey around 2.30pm. I may have my mum and sister or it could just be the 5 of us, no idea yet.

The evening DH and I usually watch a stand up comedian show, or if the family are round we play games like cards against humanity.

The DC open their stockings and eat the chocolate. More chocolate with breakfast. Christmas TV. Presents throughout the day, or they don't really play with anything. Lunch. Christmas dinner at about 7. Bed for DS2. Bed for DD around 10. DS2 can't have late nights because of ADHD.

DD comes to wake us sometime after 5 (not allowed before then) and preferably after 7. We have occasionally had to wake her at about 8/8.30. (She's now 12).

Straight in to the sitting room to open the stocking and its excitement.

Then we all head into the kitchen to make a nice breakfast together, with the radio on, and enjoying the non-rushed day.

Then we rush off to get showered and dressed in time to get to mass!! !!

After mass, we have a couple of visits to local extended family to make (we're actually down to 1 these days). About an hour, for a drink and a few nibbles and chat with cousins etc.

Then we head home again, 1 person gets the fire going while the other gets the oven on and kitchen vaguely organized, while DD sorts tree lights going on and getting some music going. Between the 3 of us, we get a tray of M&S nibbles cooked, wine glasses out and a bottle opened, a nice drink for DD poured, the turkey INTO the oven, and the first lot of chaos cleared up before heading to the sitting room.

Opening presents takes place at a relaxed pace, while we sip and nibble, and make occasional forays into the kitchen to baste the turkey or put potatoes or something else into the oven.

Once presents all opened, we amble out and set the table, finish off cooking dinner, and all sit down to enjoy the feast.

By the time that's over, and we all tidy up, we may have a board game, or watch something on tv together. Or just sit reading books and relaxing for a while. We tend to get an early(ish) night as DD's birthday is the following day and we are always having some kind of gathering that we need to prepare for.

So generally just a relaxed day. A very very rare one in our lives!!

Oh, and somewhere in the afternoon and early evening, there will be phonecalls or skypes or facetime calls between us and various family members across the globe - in and around the cooking and presents, we generally try to make sure they're all done before we sit down to eat.