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Christmas

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Original poster

Anyone else not looking forward to christmas??

23 replies

NineWurlysDancing · 10/12/2007 10:43

The only big i honestly enjoy is watch ds's open their presents the rest I could quite happily do without. Its too much stress and I dont enjoy it at all.

OP posts:
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 10/12/2007 10:49

I'm trying very hard to get into the Christmas spirit but I really can't be ar$ed this year.

MrsSnape · 10/12/2007 10:50

yes I find it very stressful. I'm the same...I'm looking foward to the kids opening their presents but the rest of it is just one huge stress.

ComeOVenReadyturkey · 10/12/2007 10:52

Why is it so stressful? I am having slight issues with MIL but apart from that I'm not stressed at all. I find the best thing to do is be very organised and plan ahead. I have everything ready just need to cook on the day.

onlyjoking9329 · 10/12/2007 10:53

same here i am looking forward to it for the kids but the rest of it is just too stressful
OJ

systemsaddict · 10/12/2007 11:02

7 hour drive to my mum's, with my 15 month old, I'm pregnant, slightly driving phobic and it will knock me out, dp doesn't drive ... my neurotic mum is incredibly stressed about Christmas already and will be even more so when we get there ... SIL due to have baby any time which will add drama ... 2 days dealing with that there then 7 hour drive back followed immediately by a friend's wedding (WHY get married over Christmas period and complicate everyone's lives!!) ... next 2 days 1 1/2 hour drive to dp's family ... have to fit in swapping of far too many presents to get in the car, visits to ds' sick great-nan, visits to BIL SIL and their two babies ... back home for New Years' Eve when I have a friend visiting who's had a horrible year, I'd desperately love to spend more time with her but can't because of all these family obligations, and when am I going to fit in preparing a meal for them?? ... then back to work, to recover.

AAAAAARGGGGGHHHH! Next year we are STAYING HOME and NOT SEEING ANYONE!

clumsymum · 10/12/2007 11:04

Look, if it's stressful, you need to re-think what you have planned.

Is it the cooking? Then don't. Book to go out, or at least buy as much ready-prepared as you can, which will also cut down on the waste.

Is it Seeing people you don't really want to see? Then again, don't do it. Sit down with your partner, and work out what you Want to do, and sod everyone outside your own household. If your partner thinks it's important for the kids to see his parents, but you hate them, then let him take them for a few hours.

Christmas is supposed to be about peace, harmony and rest. Well rest your inner you.

Original poster
NineWurlysDancing · 10/12/2007 11:08

its not stressfull in the sense that I had too much to do, we are going to mil for dinner then at my sisters boxing day, so I dont have all the cooking etc to do.

I just dont enjoy christmas, dh said next year we will go away for christmas but I know that will cause problems with MIL and SIL.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 10/12/2007 11:11

If you are finding the plans stressful - STOP. Take stock of things and make changes. Christmas does not have to be stressful. Think about what YOU want out of Christmas and how you can achieve it.

I'm with clumsymum - Christmas shouldn't be stressful. there is no real reason for it to be - so make the changes to make it a happy, fun time instead.

WhenScoobyGotStuckUpTheChimney · 10/12/2007 11:17

I am normally quite stressed but this year we are staying at home with the kids, my mum & my sister are poping over at some point, we are having a roast, dp is cooking, i intend to stay in my pj's for the morning

If you feel stressed i would try & work out what it is that is making you feel stressed, we are off to MIL & FIL's next week for a few days & i am feeling utterly stressed about that 180 mile journey, packing everything including travel cot, dd hates the car journey so will no doubt scream, ds asks me 100 times "are we there yet" When we get there all lovely but they are lving in a 2 bedroom house as building there own & there will no doubt be even more kids there too.

BUT i am trying to chill about it.

fortunecookie · 10/12/2007 11:21

It was so much more fun when I didn't have to worry about organising, and paying for, the whole thing.

The food is the biggest PITA. Not just for Xmas day but the whole holiday.

onlyjoking9329 · 10/12/2007 11:26

the things that i am stressing about are things way out of my control really, it doesn't stop me stressing even thou there is bog all i can do

adventkerzylin · 10/12/2007 11:30

Hulababy , I've copie dthose wise words to send to my mum. She stresses out every year and I don't see the point. Maybe she can take a step back and change things.

I wish I had booked flights earlier now as I am not looking forward to Christmas in Germany - dh will work most days and only joins in for a short time and the dc's friends are all away and our building will be empty too (10 flats) - better stock up on the drinks atleast!

SpottyHamster · 10/12/2007 11:39

I'm not particularly stressed , simply find it all a bit boring! Agree kids opening pressies is the highlight. We are not expecting visitors until NY tho. A work colleage (in his 20s and still living with mum) is soooooo excited about Christmas, wish some of it would rub off on me! If I had no kids I would love to go away on a nice hol I think..

Countingthegreyhairs · 10/12/2007 12:04

Wish it were as easy as that ClumsyMum! You can't sod everyone outside your own household (well not every year anyway ...)

I love Christmas usually but I'm totally stressed out this year(apart from seeing dd's face on Christmas morning of course ).

Have been ill so lack energy + very late with preparations. Going to take humungous (sp?) effort to get back on track. Not sure I've got it in me this year ...

We're expats so every year involves loads of travel. This Sat we go to UK to see my family for four days. This is always enjoyable but loads of hassle as my mother is too elderly to put us up - sister's house too small - have to camp in motel with dd.

Then return home for three-day washing/ironing session and set off on 12 hour car journey to see pil. Have v. difficult relationship with mil. Fil (sadly) has Alzheimers so all v. stressful. Sil depressed.

Hate not having Christmas at home

Just have to lump it this year though ...

Feel ashamed for complaining now I've seen yr post OnlyJoking ....

clumsymum · 10/12/2007 12:18

Well I know Counting, see my thread about my mum and Christmas.

I'm determined we do it our way next year tho'

Desiderata · 10/12/2007 12:22

It's difficult, isn't it? DH has four children, and they all pile down to our two bed flat, so I have to spend every Christmas stepping over sundry limbs on the living room floor.

And then there's MIL insisting that she cooks the Christmas dinner, even though me and DH do it so much better than her

This year I've put my foot down. The kids (all grown up, btw) are coming on Boxing Day instead. And we're cooking. It's not all perfect, though. MIL is coming to ours ... I couldn't find a single way out of it.

Countingthegreyhairs · 10/12/2007 12:35

lol sundry limbs Desiderata

Aye Clumsym - we strictly alternate between the two families each year - keep saying we'll introduce a third "alternative" year where we do what WE want. Hasn't happened yet ....

Minum · 10/12/2007 12:37

Fortunecookie hits the nail on the head - Christmas used to be lovely before we had all the work and responsibility. Partly compensated for now by having the DCs at Christmas, but I miss the freedom days, when it was just about parties in the run up, and lovely food on the day.

It is better this year though, as we're doing no entertaining at all, and have booked in lots of nice meals out, pantos, carol concerts etc over Christmas.

systemsaddict · 10/12/2007 14:50

It's a balance of stress though isn't it - technically I could have told my mum we weren't coming down, but then I would have had a good year (at least) of 'such a shame you couldn't make it this Christmas but maybe you'll be able to manage it another time, oh no don't worry about me, we'll manage without you somehow, yes I have had a tough year but [bravely but a little tremblingly] I'll be fine, of course I'd love to see my little grandson's face on Christmas morning but maybe you can send a picture or two so I can at least imagine him' .... on balance the 14 hours driving at least gets the stress all out of the way in one go!

fruitful · 10/12/2007 16:27

Well I'm going to be on a postnatal ward on Christmas Day, probably recovering from hysterectomy and major blood transfusion, and waiting for my new but premature ds to be able to leave NICU. Swap, anyone?

fruitful · 10/12/2007 16:31

Actually I'm planning Christmas 2008. Just the 5 of us, spending all day in our new Christmas pyjamas, I think!

LadyOfWassail · 10/12/2007 16:31

I'm not. Was going to put up the decorations today but I might not bother at all this year now. Just can't get into the swing of it.

mufti · 11/12/2007 10:20

fil died 4 weeks ago, waiting for dh to decide if we are going up to stay with mil or not, i want to stay home ,and have my mum stay as usual.
she will be on her own if not.

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