Ideas to explain why Father Christmas can't visit until the afternoon?

[KitKat1985]

Although waiting confirmation, it looks pretty likely I will be working Christmas eve and Christmas day morning this year (nurse). My kids will be 6 and 4. I really don't want to miss them opening their presents but I won't be home until about 2.30 / 3ish. I don't want them to wake up Christmas day morning and think Father Christmas has missed them out though. Any good excuses? Or alternatively we leave the presents under the tree as normal Christmas day morning and poor DH has to try and distract the kids from the Christmas presents all morning!

Speaking as a nurse myself, I would honestly let the dc open their presents as normal. Being a nurse means we often have to miss aspects of christmas, but there's no need to make our families miss things too.

I sometimes keep something back to be opened when I get home, but not their main present.

I think christmas can be quite tricky for the parent on their own with the dc without having to deny the dc their christmas presents until you are home.

To all the nurses etc who work Christmas - thank-you for doing what you do.

I'd let Santa deliver, its exciting for kids to see the pile of gifts Santa has left but explain in advance that they need to wait until you are home to open them all.

I was in hospital with DS2 and watched my then 5yo open his presents on video and it was shite. DH felt it was weird having Christmas morning just the two of them and didn't really enjoy it either.

I doubt your 4yo would notice if you moved the date but I think the 6yo might twig esp if the TV or Radio is on. We move DS2s birthday, he'll be 4 this year, I don't think he'll notice but I'm not sure how much longer we can get away with it.

Move it to Boxing Day

Change the date or do half presents in morn and half later.

Another child of shift workers here, just to say it was totally fine and was just normal for me and my sister to wait for my mum to come back at 2pm. We did stockings early in the morning and maybe one tree present. Then had loads of fun “helping” my dad prepare Christmas dinner, eating quality street and watching all the fun Christmas tv until she came back. When my dad was working we did the same if he was due back at a certain time. Some years we did have to carry on without him as he got called out and might be gone all day, but looking back obviously dm had done the vast majority of the work so I think they were both happy with that setup. If you are doing most of the work you should definitely get to be there to see it all.

Husband and I are both nurses, both have worked Christmas since having children (now 9 and 6). We let the children open stockings in the morning, a couple of presents from relatives and then they have a nice morning helping with dinner/breakfast and watching Christmas films/telly. When whoever is working gets home we have our dinner almost straight away and then do the rest of the presents. The children have always been remarkably patient and understanding and certainly haven't missed out on any of the magic of Christmas by waiting a few hours!