Christmas eve baby!

[CamilleCamisole]

We have a Christmas Eve baby in our family (my dd). When I say baby, she is 6yo!

We are doing a party for her with school friends and also doing a birthday treat for just her and me and one of her godparents. These are in the week before Christmas and her bday.

As you can imagine, she ends up opening all her presents for the year (from friends and family, plus the big man in red) all around the same week!

We don't go mad at Christmas. Both our dcs get 3 things from FC, then some practical stuff from us. This year it is umbrellas, jeans, tshirt and jumper to wear on Christmas Day, socks and books.

Not sure what the best way to organise giving presents this year. Do we save all the Christmas presents for Christmas Day, or should we stagger them a bit? My gut instinct is to stagger it and do the practical presents from us on Christmas eve and then do just FC presents on Christmas.

Maybe it doesn't really matter and I'm overthinking! But just think there will be some birthday fuss leading up to Christmas Eve, then presents from us in the morning. Maybe presents for both dcs in the evening might switch us to Christmas mode...or is that mean and encroaching on dd's birthday a bit?

Sounds a bit complicated to me but I’d stick with giving all presents on Christmas day and only dds birthday present on her Birthday.

That way there is a clear definition between the two and no crossover where I think your dcs will get confused and to which presents are which.

We’ve always done practical alongside fun stuff at Christmas for dcs (as did our parents for us) it just adds to the excitement of Christmas. I loved getting a new dress, pyjamas, shoes or even a toothbrush on Christmas Day and appreciated those just as much as the toys!

What's complicated about it? Having a Christmas Eve baby? Lol, yes, it is a bit! Silly of me really

No don't give them Xmas presents on her birthday. It's crappy having an Xmas birthday when people mush it all together.

I wouldn't do Christmas Eve boxes at all ever. If you want them to have new PJs etc do it the week before.

You don't need to get into the Christmas spirit on HER BIRTHDAY

so speaketh the woman who always gets her birthday over shadowed by NYE

My younger DD was very nearly a Christmas Eve baby- she was born at quarter to midnight on the 23rd.
She was quite insistent as a child that her birthday should be special, and very separate from Xmas. We used to celebrate “Katymas” (name changed) on the 23rd, with a smaller Katymas tree in the playroom, with her birthday presents under it! They had to be in non Xmas wrapping too.
Xmas was kept in the sitting room, with the main tree and presents.
On the plus side, there was always a pantomime or children’s show to take her to for her birthday treat, and at that time of year the shops were rammed with great present options.
DD1’s birthday was in August, when the shops had “back to school” stuff and tired sales bargains. Her friends were often away on holiday. I found the December birthday a lot easier, tbh. Just expensive, as two of her cousins had birthdays then too!

We have a Christmas Eve birthday boy
18 this year , he's the youngest of 4
We have always made Christmas Eve his day
No Christmas shenanigans at all
Other than leaving out a small snack for Santa and Rudolph

@SleepingStandingUp

No don't give them Xmas presents on her birthday. It's crappy having an Xmas birthday when people mush it all together.

I wouldn't do Christmas Eve boxes at all ever. If you want them to have new PJs etc do it the week before.

You don't need to get into the Christmas spirit on HER BIRTHDAY

so speaketh the woman who always gets her birthday over shadowed by NYE

Yes, this was my worry... She doesn't mind it yet, but I think in future she is going to hate having her birthday taken over by Christmas.

Thanks. I think you're right and we have to be in 100% birthday mode on the day.

Re birthday presents being better better Christmas, we once had her school friends party a few days after Christmas instead of before just because more people could make that date and we could get the place she wanted to have it. It was a bit of a mistake I think, as so many people just gave us unwanted Christmas presents! Including one which had clearly been used.

We haven't made that mistake again since. We once did a half birthday party as well, which was nice actually. We had her actual birthday with family overseas that year, so we did a half birthday for nursery friends in the summer.

Why is this year different from previous years OP?

I don't know actually why I thought of staggering the presents this year... I think maybe because they're getting older and she is having bigger treat outings in the run up (bigger party as she has more friends and a London theatre trip with actually good seats for once). So wondered if a whole load of presents on Christmas Day, (after party a few days before, then big outing a couple of days after that, then more presents from us on Cheistmas Eve), might be a bit overwhelming? I wondered if splitting them, might be a bit less full on, so I think 5/6 things the night before and then similar the following day, rather than 12 all at once... (including stockings).

But, I don't want to make her birthday all about something other than her, so I agree with posts that shouldn't do it.

Why would you give your children your presents on Christmas Eve? Especially as it is actually your dd’s birthday. As a pp said you are over complicating it.
Christmas Eve - dd’s birthday, give her her birthday presents.
Christmas Day - both children get Christmas presents.
If you want to stagger it at all then save a couple of presents for Boxing Day.

We let them open and play with them as they go. If they don't open everything, we leave them until boxing day. So if you're going to stagger them, go that way and don't push them to open everything in one long conveyor belt

I don't think I want to stagger it to Boxing Day tbh...

I think we'll just do birthday on Christmas Eve. Christmas presents on Christmas. Thanks all 👋

@SleepingStandingUp

We let them open and play with them as they go. If they don't open everything, we leave them until boxing day. So if you're going to stagger them, go that way and don't push them to open everything in one long conveyor belt

Yeah...maybe. Stagger them throughout the day sort of thing.

Yeah there's nothing worse than opening one, put it aside, open another, put it aside. If the kids find something they want opening and to play with, fine. Present break. Eldest is 6

I'm a Christmas eve "baby" 😉 as I child I always had that day as my birthday (separate presents) then Christmas day was a separate day entirely. Think I would have disliked my siblings having Christmas presents on my birthday as everyone else had their day, so I'm happy how my family did it. Have to say it gets a little more difficult to celebrate as you get older, no one wants to come to a birthday party Christmas eve, or there abouts as their usually skint/busy, and then you have to turn your birthday night into Christmas when turning into your alter ego (ho, ho, ho) but luckily for me I love that bit so it doesn't dampen my birthday actually. I have to say I loved my birthday as a child, I thought Christmas eve was such a special birthday! Definitely keep your daughters day separate I'd say!

@CamilleCamisole

What's complicated about it? Having a Christmas Eve baby? Lol, yes, it is a bit! Silly of me really

No of course not, you didn’t plan a Christmas Eve child, that just happened to be the day she was born. Over complicating it in the sense that, that you want to give Christmas presents to both dcs on dds birthday.

Youre worried about dd getting overwhelmed but surely by giving Christmas presents in the evening after birthday presents in the morning then the rest again on Christmas Day is just blurring the lines of her birthday and Christmas and would just be a constant stream of opening presents.

12 presents each on Christmas Day isn’t too much in my opinion but staggering those throughout the day is a good idea.

But whatever you decide, I’m sure your dds will have a great time! 🙂

@CamilleCamisole

I don't think I want to stagger it to Boxing Day tbh...

I think we'll just do birthday on Christmas Eve. Christmas presents on Christmas. Thanks all 👋

Why are you making this complicated? Birthday present on birthday. Christmas presents on Christmas day.

Yeah I’m not understanding the dilemma. Birthday presents on birthday, and Christmas presents on Christmas. Seems obvious.

No presents for anyone except her on Xmas eve!

@MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry

Yeah I’m not understanding the dilemma. Birthday presents on birthday, and Christmas presents on Christmas. Seems obvious.

This. Why on earth would anyone else have presents on Xmas eve?

Dd is the 23rd and it's 100 percent her birthday

What MaryandGerry said. We have a Christmas Day baby - we'll he's 27 this year. Christmas presents Christmas Day after church, birthday presents and cards at 6ish when lunch has gone down with birthday cake. His party was always the first weekend after back to school in the NY.

I have a Christmas Eve baby. Having a party start of December, Christmas Eve day is all about her birthday and opens birthday presents. At tea time it is then Christmas Eve time with the Christmas Eve boxes etc. Christmas Day just normal with Christmas presents.

DS2 has a Christmas Eve birthday. That day was always just about him. He’s 25 this year, so it’s a bit different. He had presents, a birthday tea of his choosing and I always made him a cake. We didn’t do anything Christmasy other than the mince pie and milk for Santa.

When he was little he had a joint party with DS1, who has an earlier December birthday, as he got older we took one friend to the cinema and for a McDonalds or something on Christmas Eve. We all loved that and it was rare that the child who was invited couldn’t come.

He’s never hated having a Christmas Eve birthday. In fact he was quite glad that he never had to go to school on his birthday, ever.

My husband is a christms eve baby ( although now comfortably in his 30s).
He is very particular about his birthday being distinct from Christmas so his presents are never to be wrapped in Christmas paper has to be birthday paper.
Christmas eve is his choice of food and cake and it's more about him. Then Christmas morning is father Christmas and the kids. We never had Christmas eve boxes growing up so it wouldt occur to me. I generally get Christmas pjs and jumper as and when the kids need them so both of mine are already wearing them.
If you want to do a big thing around pjs do it the weekend before and tie it in with a Christmas cinema night or something.
Let her birthday be her birthday.

Although I now have a Christmas son aswell so last year gave him his birthday present in summer due to not knowing what to get for his 1st birthday a few days after his 1st Christmas. I'm tempted to keep doing that do have asked family to get stuff later when we know what we need.

Christmas Eve baby here, always celebrate 24th of June, and have done since I was a child. Plenty of celebration around my actual birthday anyway and someone usually raises a glass.