Celebrate before or after?

12 replies

MinnieMountain · 22/07/2019 12:52

We're spending Christmas and New Year this year with PILs in Spain.

I'm trying to work out whether we should do presents with 6yo DS before or after?

I'm leaning towards before and telling him that Father Christmas will know he's in Spain for his stocking. We fly out on 23rd December.

OP posts:

TipseyTorvey · 22/07/2019 12:54

I suppose it depends how big and how many presents you will have. We tend to do one main gift each and then books or smaller things plus stockings. Could you take one main gift and a book and stocking and say santa has dropped the rest at home. This won't work if her main present is a bike of course 😂

TipseyTorvey · 22/07/2019 12:55

Sorry 'his'

wishingchair1 · 22/07/2019 13:01

Place marking for advice. We are away from mid dec for 3 wks. No idea what to do. Plus dd bday week before. Older dd prob ok with no more father xmas but dd2 only 7.
I over think it perhaps.

MissDew · 22/07/2019 13:08

I would suggest before. There's the build up/anticipation all around you still. Your son will like getting something ahead of the big day. Then there's still the overseas Christmas trip to look forward to. If you do it afterwards the sense of anticipation will be long gone IMO.

Christmas starts to go stale by about the end of Boxing Day for a lot of people.

FilthyforFirth · 22/07/2019 13:35

Can you not send the presents in advance? I appreciate this will probably be a big cost...

Yotam · 22/07/2019 13:37

We are usually away for Christmas and New year - started when the oldest was 9 and youngest 4 I think. I take stuff for stockings in my bag and then we have presents at home once we get back. It helps that my children have only ever had stockings from Father Christmas so we did not need to explain the presents being delivered to home - clearly we wouldn’t bring presents on holiday just to fly them back again. Now they are older and don’t believe in Father Christmas anymore, we still do stockings but at least I don’t have to make sure they don’t know the presents are in my case.

Original poster

MinnieMountain · 22/07/2019 13:40

Thank you for confirming what I was thinking.
DS got so excited last year.
I have no idea what we'll get him yet as he changes his mind every month but bikes are transport in our house, so it won't be that.
Father Christmas does NOT get the credit for main presents in our house
wishingchair1 we're saying that because Father Christmas is magic, he'll know where DS is.
We will probably have a day of pantomime, easy meal and presents on the Saturday before we fly.

OP posts:

PamelaTodd · 22/07/2019 15:02

When mine were that age they’d have struggled to leave the big gift behind and pined for it. So my vote would be to have them afterwards. And it’s a consolation after saying goodbye to relatives.

jackparlabane · 22/07/2019 16:32

We talk about the 12 days of Christmas and get stockings on the day and spread out other presents and outings as convenient. So I'd do a stocking on the actual day, a present or two that could be taken with, earlier, and any large bulky present could wait.

ysmaem · 22/07/2019 17:45

I would probably do it before hand. He's gonna have a busy time on holiday and with all the travelling and celebrating he might not be in mood to continue with the celebrations and will probably want to get back into a routine.

wishingchair1 · 23/07/2019 17:04

@minniemountain ideally i think a few bits for stockings and then money for souvenirs, trips etc.
The run up is always so exhaisting with all the school stuf f xx

Allthepinkunicorns · 25/07/2019 08:09

I would take a couple of gifts with you and a stocking and open the rest when he gets home. We did this for my ds birthday as we were away at the time and he was fine with waiting. Plus your family are likely to give gifts as well and you will want to bring those back with you.

Flip