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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

What to do on Xmas day with adult children

71 replies

tired17 · 23/11/2021 07:03

I wondered what others do on Xmas day when they have adult children. We open our presents in the morning and have our main meal about 5pm when other family members arrive but the rest of the day is hard to fill. Going on a walk is always refused!

There is me, DH, DD22 and DD17, does anyone have any ideas to fill the gap from 10ish to about 3ish?

OP posts:
lunarlandscape · 23/11/2021 08:16

We do:

Wake up and stocking opening
Lazy brunch with coffee and champagne
Tree presents
Relax with tree presents: read the books, listen to the music, sort out the tech, try on the clothes, pamper stuff in the bathroom etc.
We then go for a walk but if DC didn't want to we'd leave them to lounge and go ourselves.
Help prep food
Pre-dinner drink
Christmas Dinner
Clear up
Then a Christmas quiz or board game or family film.

The day never drags.

junebirthdaygirl · 23/11/2021 08:19

We eat earlier..about 3 and find they are more reading for walk/ boardgames/ movie/ sitting around with fire just chatting.
It's like dinner marks wind down time.

Lovemusic33 · 23/11/2021 08:28

I have older teens so it’s just me and them. We have a nice breakfast, open gifts slowly so it lasts most of the morning, we might have visitors or we might go and visit others in the afternoon/evening. We don’t really do much as we enjoy relaxing for the day. Boxing Day we go for a walk on the beach and have fish and chips.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 23/11/2021 08:35

Don't force it is my advice.

My mother over scheduled Christmas day with compulsory joint activities (ram packed schedule from midnight mass followed by a few hours sleep to opening stockings before joint breakfast, more church attendance, walk, another specific charity type very public activity, drinks visits from elderly neighbors during which all family members had to be present, "lunch" at about 4pm but tears and upset if anyone ate between breakfast and lunch, a compulsory "picky" meal together in the evening and then a film), all with lots of rules especially around not eating anything separately, not going to separate rooms, everyone "helping" but in a completely micromanaged way which caused frustration and tension, and opening presents in a painful, ritualistic, drawn out way at various set times, one or two at a sitting - she stressed herself out hugely, got tearful every year if anyone let their smile slip and didn't perform gratitude constantly and we came to dread it.

She meant well but going to my in-laws was such a blessed relief! Relaxed, food and wine based day with just those who felt like it going for a walk spontaneously most years. Sadly MIL died some years ago, but we definitely follow her model with our own kids and teens.

A relaxed day, a warm, cozy house, good food and wine and people doing their own thing in one another's company is perfect. Start demanding everyone join in so you can curate your ideal Christmas, as though there's a hidden camera in the corner and you'll be judged on whether you did appropriate levels of Christmas activities as a family, and it'll be tense, dreary and shit for everyone, they'll resent you and you'll get upset that your efforts are under appreciated.

mdh2020 · 23/11/2021 09:06

I just remembered - we used to play Charades, endlessly.

maofteens · 23/11/2021 09:32

We have brunch after opening the presents and also have our main meal around 5. But as there's lots of cooking, table setting, tidying up the wrapping paper, going to mass etc the time gets filled pretty easily! A Christmas movie if needed. After dinner we do a couple board games and may end with a jigsaw puzzle.

Ragwort · 23/11/2021 09:33

I think it's good to schedule a bit of 'own time' into the day .. no need to all be cooped up all the time - that might be to quietly read a new book, have a solitary walk or run, go for a nap, play a new computer game (quietly in your own Grin ) etc. I find it too 'busy' if we all have to be together 24/7 (and I've only got one grown up DC!)

LublinToDublin · 23/11/2021 09:34

@junebirthdaygirl

We eat earlier..about 3 and find they are more reading for walk/ boardgames/ movie/ sitting around with fire just chatting. It's like dinner marks wind down time.
This is my feeling. For me it would feel odd settling down to play charades or board games before Christmas dinner. I would choose to have the meal earlier and have longer to relax and do games or whatever after. Maybe there's a reason for the other family arriving mid afternoon 🤔 but it wouldn't be my choice
HoseMeDownWithHolyWater · 23/11/2021 09:40

Get drunk.

starfishmummy · 23/11/2021 09:43

We get up in a leisurely fashion, open presents we just relax - we're a family who all like to find books in our Christmas gifts so we will look at those, and there are phone calls to relatives that we won't see. Brunch and then Christmas Dinner to cook and eat (5 ish) tjem more relaxing and crap TV!!

HoseMeDownWithHolyWater · 23/11/2021 09:45

Seriously though, my one brother and I used to meet our friends at the pub for a quick drink at about 1/2. Then we'd all go back to our families for Christmas dinner and the meet up back at the pub in the evening.

I miss those Christmases now we've all got kids and the pub burnt down.

Could you suggest a walk to the pub for a quick one to break up the day?

NC938738953685 · 23/11/2021 09:50

Maybe look on Pinterest for a Christmas craft activity like decorating iced biscuits or making foliage table decorations. Also stream a film - no time to die or obviously there’s all the Christmassy ones. Or pub for a drink?

Palavah · 23/11/2021 09:53

Last year: (long) wall to church stopping for coffee and pastry, and back again. Canapes and champagne in neighbour' front garden, back to prep some veggies and put turkey in, out to mulled wine in another neighbour's garden, back for more prep and listening to carols, shag, eat, tv, bed.

theleafandnotthetree · 23/11/2021 09:53

Christ, I thought the whole point of children growing up was that one gave no thought to how their time would be filled! I scarcely worry about my young teenagers....

LindaEllen · 23/11/2021 09:54

We always have a walk, put films on, and usually we've been gifts that keep us occupied through the day - books, a game perhaps, things like that. Even have a nice bath! Adults don't need to be entertained. It should just be a chilled day enjoying each other's company :).

Palavah · 23/11/2021 09:55

Previously :
Run in the park, breakfast and dressed, presents, bucks fizz and canapes, chitchat, some games, lunch, tv, games, bed

merrygoround51 · 23/11/2021 10:33

We visit in the morning and then back for dinner with more family.
If we didn’t visit in the morning we would do church then followed by walk for anyone interested. I really wouldn’t be trying to make up activities for adult children. Christmas changes and we need to change with it

tedsletterofthelaw · 23/11/2021 10:44

When I was that age before I had my own family and I would spend Xmas at my parents with my siblings we would play games, watch films and generally relax. I don't think there needs to be any planned entertainment.

TheCheesyBakedBeanGetsGlam · 23/11/2021 10:48

Get out for a walk
Card games, board games, charades
Christmas movie
Eat earlier? You can stagger it have a small starter, 90 mins later main, 90 mins later pudding, 90 mins later cheese board etc.
Cooked breakfast

What do you normally enjoy going as a family?

maddy68 · 23/11/2021 10:48

We open presents , prepare food together. Then we go for a drink

maddy68 · 23/11/2021 10:51

@GetTheGoodLookingGuy

We play a game similar to TheThreeHeadedBeast which can go on for hours! Everyone buys and wraps two small presents (£2 limit). These are randomly dished out, then you take it in turns to roll two dice. One dice applies to each present in front of you, but you get to decide which one's which. 1 is swap with the person on your left, 2 is swop with the person on your right, 3 and 4 are swap with anyone, 5 is do nothing (amazing later on in the game when you have something you really want) and 6 is unwrap. If you only have one wrapped present left and you roll a 6 you have to use it to unwrap that present, but if both of your presents are unwrapped then 6 becomes another do nothing for you. The game only ends when the last present is unwrapped and then you keep whatever you've got. What tends to happen (especially if the last wrapped present is something people think they want) is it will be getting close to the person with the wrapped present's turn, then someone just before them will take it, meaning it will be an entire round again before the game could end, by which point the wrapped present will have moved on. Sometimes it feels like the game is never going to end with this one wrapped present going round and round and round, but it always does eventually!

Other things to do - space out the presents to give time to enjoy things. Open a packet of Christmas biscuits and eat them in between presents. We will probably dig out some old home movies (there's pretty much an entire Christmas from 2006 which got filmed, including the Christmas play we put on in my bedroom!)

I love this idea 🥰
Blackmagicqueen · 23/11/2021 10:54

Just enjoy relaxing op and i will live vicariously through you! I have a toddler and 4 year old so going to be lovely but hectic!

OhGiveUp · 23/11/2021 11:06

Just let them do their own thing OP. There's nothing worse than forced jollities.

dottiedodah · 23/11/2021 11:08

TBH we just chill out! DS in his 20s has usually been to the pub Christmas Eve so has a lie in! Have some drinks /nibbles about 12.00 ish then Dinner about 2.30/3.00 pm .More chilling then open presents .Tea about 8/9pm Turkey sandwiches /pickles /nice cheeses .Boxing day walk !

SimpsonsXmasBoogie · 23/11/2021 11:25

I'd push to do a board game. It will be less than a couple of hours so it leaves plenty of time for everyone to lounge around drinking and eating and relaxing.

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