How to break up Christmas Day

[NextExWife]

Sorry if there is already a thread about this. It's looking more and more likely that we won't be able to be with extended family at Christmas (all too far away to meet outside for a couple of hours). I'd love some ideas on how to structure Christmas Eve/Day/Boxing Day so it doesn't just feel like a normal weekend. Two children under 5.

I'm thinking it would be a nice time to start some family traditions - maybe order a pizza on Christmas Eve? Kids are too little for board games (beyond snakes and ladders). To be honest they're both quite picky eaters so it's not really worth cooking Christmas dinner, but we will! What are other people planning?

Same situation as you, family miles away and very young DC. We're planning to go to a café for hot chocolates on Christmas Eve....or you could do a Christmas light safari driving round in the car to spot the decorated houses.

Christmas day we'll go on a walk at some point in the afternoon just to get some fresh air as otherwise it gets a bit crazy.

Boxing day this year I'm thinking about doing home-made pizzas and turning it into an activity with the DC with any leftovers. I quite fancy some ham or different cheeses or maybe some stuffing pizzas

I’m going to make Xmas cooking on Xmas eve, let my daughter cut some shapes out for some fun, then films and order a take away later on evening, Christmas Day cooking dinner as usual, presents in morning, snacks and few games on the evening, playing with toys.
Boxing Day going to have a nice walk (we live by a big reserve) play some more games no doubt and just chill out, watch Christmas films again and eat chocolate

That was supposed to say Christmas cookies but it keeps auto correcting!!

Lovely ideas thank you. Christmas cookies, light safari, cafe for hot chocolates. Schedule is looking much livelier already

Xmas eve we usually spend the morning driving round dropping off presents, then in the afternoon/early evening we will get into PJs, watch Xmas films and make hot chocolate and popcorn, have something easy for dinner like picnic food or a takeaway. Watch the norad tracker on and off to see where Santa is.

Then mince pie and milk goes out along with a couple of carrots and we begin the adventure known as 'trying to get an excited child to sleep'.

Xmas morning is presents and then Xmas tree shaped crumpets for breakfast with chocolate.

There's only me, DH and DD (6 yo) so we tend to roast a chicken or just turkey crown for lunch rather than do a massive beast, and I'm the only one who likes Xmas pudding so we go with some kind of chocolate cake. Lunch is usually around 1pm.

Afternoon is playing with toys, more Xmas movies, a walk if the weather is good enough, then dinner which will be some kind of nice bread, leftovers from lunch, pickles and other picnic-y bits.

DD will be ready to collapse by 6/7pm as will me and her dad so a low key dozy type of evening.

Usually Boxing Day would be spent at the in-laws but not convinced that will be happening this year so weather dependant we may meet them for a dog walk or play park experience. Maybe take a big thermos of hot chocolate and a food flask filled with cooked hot sausages for a hot food picnic.

If you're feeling environmentally friendly you could do your Christmas light Safari on foot and it might help them sleep.

Building a Lego set together had been a good Christmas family activity here. Yours might be a bit young but maybe there's something similar.

We are always just us. I think getting out of the house really helps break the day up well. We are lucky enough to be by the sea and will be doing a dip before breakfast. We let the kids open stockings when they wake up, but then save other presents until after swim/run around outside and then breakfast. They’re old enough to cope with the wait. By the time we’ve done all that it’s around midday. The afternoon is for playing/flopping/cooking/filling up on chocolate, and then we have our Christmas meal as an early dinner. Little kids nibble at stuff and then run off to play more. After that everyone is a bit zonked, spot of telly together and then bed/Christmas TV.

There was another thread quite similar to this, I think it was called quiet Christmas or similar?

Pop up pirate was very popular at a 3yo birthday party recently, could be a good game?

here you go

We are always just us at Christmas. It never feels like a normal weekend. It is Christmas but a super chilled Christmas!

On Christmas Eve we go to a carol concert and then when we get home I give the DC their christmas eve boxes. They then shower/bath and change into new pjs. We have soup, baguette and cheese for supper while watching Muppet's Christmas Carol. We have a nice dessert - profiteroles from M&S this year. Then I read Christmas stories ending with the Night before Christmas. Stockings are hung on the fireplace, milk and mince pie for FC and carrots for the reindeer are left then the DC go to bed. I then have a Baileys or Disarrano before sneaking the stocking presents downstairs.

In the morning the DC come and get me and we go downstairs to check out their stockings. I then make coffee, orange juice, bucks fizz and pastries, my partner will come down and we have a leisurely breakfast. We then open the presents from each other under the tree (I keep a few of the DC's back). Then we'll start prepping lunch, listen to Christmas music, have a Baileys coffee and enjoy our presents. Around midday I'll bring some bowls of crisps and nuts in and the traditional (for us) J2Os that we drink! I'll serve lunch at 2pm. We just have a main course and then a break before dessert. If the DC barely eat or don't want to sit at the table - it's fine with me! We will then have a walk to walk off the massive lunch and then just relax when we get back. Late afternoon we will have our dessert followed by coffee and mints. We then open the presents under our tree from others. We will often play a board game at one point, maybe watch something on tv. Then later in the evening I will make tea and set out some Christmas cake/mince pies/stollen for any who want them.

Boxing day we often see people although unlikely this year. Once up I give the DC their last couple of presents. We will have a buffet mainly centering round a cheeseboard with bread and crackers, some sausage rolls, salad, pickles, chutney etc. Dessert this year is going to be a big reveal as I have ordered a Colin the Catterpillar yule log! Day is spent chilling, nibbling and enjoying our time together. Probably another board game, a quiz and some tv.

We always get pizza on NYE!

We open Santa gifts in the morning and other gifts before dinner. I thought this was an awful idea when dh shared this tradition but it actually works very well. The dc aren’t overwhelmed by too many gifts in the morning and are keen to go play with a fresh toy after dinner so the adults can enjoy a leisurely meal.

Other than that I’d suggest thinking of your activities in terms of stimulating and calm and alternate between the two. Calming activities usually have a strong sensory element so things like making cookies (playing with dough), baths, walks, water play, colouring, crafts, rice play etc. When my dc were younger we just did a Christmas version of the kind of things we’d do anyway. I found it very useful to have a box of activities with the various bits bagged up so I could grab one as needed without having to think.

@UndertheCedartree ** thank you for letting me know about the festive Colin the caterpillar!! Dd loves him so that's a definite buy!

@jocktamsonsbairn - hope she loves it!

Thank you everyone. Feeling festive now

We will be baking Christmas Eve, order pizza in the evening.

Christmas Day is quite relaxed, my dc’s are older so we get up a bit later now, we do stockings when we wake up, we have Danish pastries for breakfast then slowly open the tree presents, my dad will probably pop over as he lives locally (at the moment this is allowed), we will have lunch as late as possible and then probably go for a walk or drive late afternoon, in the evening we watch all the rubbish tv and play a board game/build Lego.

Boxing Day my dc go to their dads so I get a day to myself.

This year won’t be much different for us as we tend to keep things low key as both my dc have autism and can’t handle visiting family on Christmas Day anyway. I think Christmas Eve is the best day.