Making a quiet, low key Christmas feel special

[Piplette]

Excluding last year (thanks covid), I've always had Christmas dinner with my oh, kids, mum & brother (sometimes SIL too).

This year, for various reasons it's just going to oh, the kids (7&2) and I for dinner. My mum is popping in for breakfast but is spending the rest of the day with her partner's family.

My kids (and oh) are super fussy eaters and it's almost a waste to cook a full Christmas dinner. Obviously there will be lots of gifts and excitement but I'd like to think of other things we can do to make it special.

For me growing up, Christmas was always delightfully chaotic -my mum's one of 10 so Christmas dinner at my grans was busy and frantic and wonderful! I'm sad that my kids can't have that experience so keen to still try and make it special.

I'm probably looking forward to boxing Day more when SIL and her hubby and FIL and wife are coming for a chilled out lunch. I just don't want Christmas to feel boring!

Christmas chocolate hunt in the garden?
Family game (like a board game but that the 2 year old can do) after lunch -
Ice and make a gingerbread house for Boxing Day tea?
Church? If you have a jolly kids service

Your kids are little so it’s a nice time to establish some family traditions for the next decades.

It’ll be lovely!

Time out the day, lights, music, food etc.

Many people have,Xmas with just four, like we do and it's fine. We also have something presents during the meal.. And after to spread it out. Have silly games at the table.

We're having a quiet Christmas this year, but we're going to have a slide show of our old childhood photos, and go fly a kite that's just been sitting under the stairs for 100 years, so hopefully that'll be good fun!

We have an extra gift arrive under the tree during Xmas dinner,.which is a new board game to play together in the afternoon.

We did party food last year, and a huge tray of roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and stuffing balls (the best bits!) instead of a formal sit down meal. Was ace!

Make the most of it. Last year was a low key no fuss Christmas at home. To make up for the lack of people, we talked to our family on a Zoom call. This year we will probably do something similar again.

Some ideas
Christmas spelling contest
Christmas music
Christmas poetry competition
Christmas lunch, the works etc
Christmas game night
Christmas wreath workshop type affair
Christmas movie and wine evening as a family
Sweets and chocolate galore

My Christmas is only me and my 2 DC. I also love a bustling Christmas so the first year worried it would feel flat. However the kids seem to really love the day - they stay in pyjamas, we have a party food lunch as they like that more than dinner and then for dinner I get a pre prepared large Turkey breast or leg ( really for sandwiches for me!) and the kids just have all the sides. We eat that in the evening at the table with candles, cracker etc. Have Xmas music playing. Lunch they are allowed to pick at whilst playing with their toys if they fancy.

I tend to have a busy run up and meet friends on Boxing Day so the quiet Christmas Day ends up quite nice ( infact now they don’t want to see others even when it’s possible!)

My DC are young but since the eldest was very little we have spent actual Christmas day by ourselves. I have never described it as quiet Now they are getting a little older and more into it I do try and plan the day to make the most of it:

We do the standard early morning excited present opening, special Christmas tea party breakfast, then Christmas movies on while I make Christmas lunch. In the afternoon we will first play games, a mix of the games they have gotten for Christmas and Christmassy video games. It's great fun! Then in the later afternoon we will do a mini Christmas party/disco downstairs for the kids with music, juice and snacks, and gradually wind it down by doing musical statues, then charades, then pass the parcel. I want to do a special fun bath at some point with their bath bombs from the stockings but haven't quite figured out where to put this yet. It will be either here or earlier in the day while I am making lunch.

Finally we will do a hot chocolate "factory" and get snuggled down with a Christmas story and then they can fall asleep watching a Christmas movie. I can't wait! I am hoping to get them burned out and in bed around 7:30 as usual so that me and DP can spend some time relaxing ourselves :)

For various reasons it will just be three of us this year, me, DH and teen dd.

We usually host other family members and enjoy that but I am looking forward to it just being the 3 of us this year.

We do stockings for everyone, dh and I do dd's and then he makes one for me and I make one for him. We leave them in the usual place by the fireplace and its a really lovely tradition now.

We still make a fuss of dd and 'santa' delivers her presents as he always did. And she gets one tree present from us.

We will probably go out for a nice lunch on Christmas Eve depending on restrictions etc and then home to light the fire and cook the ham. Fire lighting, movies on, nice drinks on tap.

We will sleep till about 9am and then we'll wake dd and we'll all go downstairs and see what presents we have.

We cook a big brunch with champagne and then shower and dress and start getting the dinner sorted mid-afternoon. We will have a traditional christmas dinner with the table properly set etc but this year we'll have a turkey crown instead of a full turkey.

We eat at about 7pm with candles and music and wine and champagne. DD will most likely retire to her room for a snooze / chat to pals in the afternoon and dh and I will cosy up on the sofa and perhaps catnap!

Presents always involve new books amongst other things so I will have a read. If the weather is nice we may venture out for a walk but probably not.

The house will be warm and decorated and I am looking forward to a few days of rest and relaxation!

We used to have very busy Christmas days but the start of the day was just DS and I unwrapping his presents at our house and that was always my favourite bit.

Now we sit around in pyjamas all day, have a Christmas dinner with friends and just talk the day away.

Thanks! Like the idea of having a loose plan but nothing to rigid.

Breakfast will be with the grandparents then thinking maybe a walk or bike ride (weather permitting), a picky Christmas dinner with no formal sitting- cold cooked meats, some veg, party food and pudding. Christmas movie while youngest naps (if it ain't hey duggee she ain't interested) then a walk to see the lights and a wee Christmas disco!