Just finished setting up Christmas Breakfast!

[UndertheCedartree]

Some people might remember I posted 2 or 3 years ago about the 'Christmas Breakfast' I do for my DC on 1st December. I got blasted by some posters and one poster branded it 'Plastic tat mentality' - which still makes me laugh every year! I'm still sticking to our tradition and have just got things ready.

I decorate the table and set the DC's places with their Christmas plate. I prop their advent calendar up at their place. I make something Christmassy for breakfast like star shaped toast or tree shaped crumpets. This year I am doing Snowman pancakes! They also have a jingle bell pen each. Can't wait to see their faces in the morning! Christmas music will be playing as they come down the stairs!

[LaChatte]

Love this idea, not at all practical for us on a school day though because I'm just not that organised . I think il do it for the DCs on the first morning of the holidays if I can get them up before midday .

[UndertheCedartree]

@immersivereader

Are snowman pancakes just one smaller pancake placed on top of a bigger circle? Then sprinkled in icing sugar?

Pretty much (see my photo), although I didn't do the icing sugar that would have been a good idea!

[UndertheCedartree]

@TheShoeLady

That sounds lovely!

I’ve just got in from work at 3am and luckily brought some cinnamon buns home with me, so have just plonked some icing and snowman faces on them!

My teen DCs will be up and out before I’m even awake tomorrow but hopefully they’ll find their festive brekky on the table and the advent calendars outside their bedroom doors - thanks for the inspiration!

They look amazing!!

[UndertheCedartree]

@Mumwithbaggage

How lovely! I'm always late to the party but have just turned Alexa onto Christmas tunes and whacked some cinnamon cook at home buns from Ikea in the oven. Youngest Dd (17)deserves a better mum!

Don't be silly I'm sure you're a great mum! I may faff about making a Christmas breakfast but I'm a far, far from perfect mum!

[UndertheCedartree]

[quote BlueFlavour]@UndertheCedartree
Thank you so much
I managed it! I thought they would be too cool for school at 14 and 12 but they loved it.
I hope you have had a lovely breakfast this morning and Merry Christmas.[/quote]
Brilliant! We had lots of fun, thank you ☃️

[ThePoisonousMushroom]

Yes, plates are reused. And yes, I agree to be fair the pens could be 'tat' but actually they are useful as pens and when run out will still be used every year as jingle bells. The thing is this is just a personal tradition it isn't a commercial thing atall so not encouraging extra consumption. I mean Christmas jumpers and pyjamas you have suggested are fine but those are commercial things that do encourage extra consumption. My breakfast is just food that we need anyway. It also interesting that you and the poster thought that jumpers and PJ's are fine (things that cost money) but a breakfast (only cost of food that would need anyway - little extra expense for special items) was not. The poster suggested Christmas markets and pantomimes and all the expensive things myself and others can't afford was ok but not a special breakfast. I find it a very privileged and snobby attitude

You’re right, it is privileged and snobby. Pantomimes can cost over £100 for a family of 5 (like mine). Christmas markets sell hideously expensive items, including their food and drink. And while as an adult I’m happy to wander round them without spending money, it isn’t that much fun for young children.
A 1st Dec breakfast of pancakes? All it costs are the ingredients. And kids always use pens, don’t they? They’re not going to go to waste.
It’s almost like saying that unless you can afford all the things that some posters consider ‘worthy’ (like pantomimes, shows etc) then you’re not deserving of a little bit of fun.
We do the elf. He cost us £3 from Asda 6 years ago. He doesn’t watch over them and report back to Santa, he doesn’t bring presents or anything like that, he just does vaguely amusing things like draw faces on the satsumas with a sharpie. Costs us nothing but brings some joy to the children 🤷🏻‍♀️

[UndertheCedartree]

@Aposterhasnoname

OMG, I no am sooooo doing this next year, and I don’t have kids!

Definitely not just for kids!

[peridito]

This sounds a lovely idea . I hate the way there is a huge fuss and masses of preparation and work for only 2 or 3 days .So much better to spread the joy . But I do love Christmas .

[peridito]

@missnevermind - you and your sister sound lovely!

She also knows I couldn't be bothered with things like elf on a shelf so a couple of years ago she sent the kids a photo of the elf with a suitcase arriving at her front door and a story of how he would get into trouble with Father Christmas for going to the wrong address if he went home straight away.
So the kids get Elf on a shelf by proxy - a photo every morning 😁 - and she gets a bit of the fun of Christmas

[UndertheCedartree]

@ThePoisonousMushroom

Yes, plates are reused. And yes, I agree to be fair the pens could be 'tat' but actually they are useful as pens and when run out will still be used every year as jingle bells. The thing is this is just a personal tradition it isn't a commercial thing atall so not encouraging extra consumption. I mean Christmas jumpers and pyjamas you have suggested are fine but those are commercial things that do encourage extra consumption. My breakfast is just food that we need anyway. It also interesting that you and the poster thought that jumpers and PJ's are fine (things that cost money) but a breakfast (only cost of food that would need anyway - little extra expense for special items) was not. The poster suggested Christmas markets and pantomimes and all the expensive things myself and others can't afford was ok but not a special breakfast. I find it a very privileged and snobby attitude

You’re right, it is privileged and snobby. Pantomimes can cost over £100 for a family of 5 (like mine). Christmas markets sell hideously expensive items, including their food and drink. And while as an adult I’m happy to wander round them without spending money, it isn’t that much fun for young children.
A 1st Dec breakfast of pancakes? All it costs are the ingredients. And kids always use pens, don’t they? They’re not going to go to waste.
It’s almost like saying that unless you can afford all the things that some posters consider ‘worthy’ (like pantomimes, shows etc) then you’re not deserving of a little bit of fun.
We do the elf. He cost us £3 from Asda 6 years ago. He doesn’t watch over them and report back to Santa, he doesn’t bring presents or anything like that, he just does vaguely amusing things like draw faces on the satsumas with a sharpie. Costs us nothing but brings some joy to the children 🤷🏻‍♀️

I hope your Elf arrived safely today and you have lots of Christmas fun with him!

Thank you everyone for all the kind messages! ❄️❄️❄️

[ThePoisonousMushroom]

@peridito

This sounds a lovely idea . I hate the way there is a huge fuss and masses of preparation and work for only 2 or 3 days .So much better to spread the joy . But I do love Christmas .

Especially after the shit couple of years a lot of kids have had.
My children's nativity has been cancelled. And their school Christmas party. Their Christmas dinner is going to be in their classroom instead of the hall because they never dropped bubbles at their school. Their ballet school has just cancelled their usual Christmas party over ‘new variant fears’. So yeah, they can have an Elf and some Christmas fun spread throughout December.

[GinandGobbledegook]

@ThePoisonousMushroom

Yes, plates are reused. And yes, I agree to be fair the pens could be 'tat' but actually they are useful as pens and when run out will still be used every year as jingle bells. The thing is this is just a personal tradition it isn't a commercial thing atall so not encouraging extra consumption. I mean Christmas jumpers and pyjamas you have suggested are fine but those are commercial things that do encourage extra consumption. My breakfast is just food that we need anyway. It also interesting that you and the poster thought that jumpers and PJ's are fine (things that cost money) but a breakfast (only cost of food that would need anyway - little extra expense for special items) was not. The poster suggested Christmas markets and pantomimes and all the expensive things myself and others can't afford was ok but not a special breakfast. I find it a very privileged and snobby attitude

You’re right, it is privileged and snobby. Pantomimes can cost over £100 for a family of 5 (like mine). Christmas markets sell hideously expensive items, including their food and drink. And while as an adult I’m happy to wander round them without spending money, it isn’t that much fun for young children.
A 1st Dec breakfast of pancakes? All it costs are the ingredients. And kids always use pens, don’t they? They’re not going to go to waste.
It’s almost like saying that unless you can afford all the things that some posters consider ‘worthy’ (like pantomimes, shows etc) then you’re not deserving of a little bit of fun.
We do the elf. He cost us £3 from Asda 6 years ago. He doesn’t watch over them and report back to Santa, he doesn’t bring presents or anything like that, he just does vaguely amusing things like draw faces on the satsumas with a sharpie. Costs us nothing but brings some joy to the children 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes!! This with bells on. I've seen so many people today almost proud of the fact they don't do certain Christmas things (advent calendars, elf etc) but surely the magic of Christmas is your own personal traditions.

There is very much a snobby attitude about the elf and Christmas eve boxes which is not in the spirit of Christmas. Like the OP says, that might be the only thing the family can afford throughout the holiday season.

[KurtWildesChristmasNamechange]

Your breakfast looks lovely! I made star shaped cinnamon toast, it went down very well with the DC! I sat the elves down at the table too. How bad is that

I have to agree with you regarding pantomimes and Christmas markets etc, things some posters see as fine whereas things like elf on the shelf is sneered at. We really can't afford many of the more expensive Christmas activities so we do the things that cost very little but still bring us joy.

Moving an elf around that we've owned for years and will own for years to come, popping some of the small Christmas Day presents in a reusable box to be opened Christmas Eve (I don't know anyone who buys extra presents for theirs!), and your lovely Christmas breakfast that consists of things you'd normally eat just a more festive version! Not much consumerism going on there!

In Germany (where my maternal grandparents come from and we still have family there), children open their stockings on St Nicklaus day, which is December 6th. This is preceded by Krampusnacht festivities on the 5th. So I try and incorporate some of the traditions of my German family, as my parents always did, and I also celebrate Yule on December 21st.

It's a busy month

[ThePoisonousMushroom]

@KurtWildesChristmasNamechange I grew up in Spain so we do Reyes on the 6th Jan. It’s a lovely way of finishing the Christmas period!

[diddl]

Seems way too early to be doing anything Christmas related (apart from Advent calenders!) to me!

[UndertheCedartree]

@GinandGobbledegook - I agree. If people are having fun and enjoying themselves whatever way they do it then that's wonderful!

[Heaviestdirtyestsoul]

Aww! I want snowman pancreas! It looks lovely

[Heaviestdirtyestsoul]

Pancakes. Blummin pancakes.

[ThePoisonousMushroom]

I think I’ll pass on the snowman pancreas

[KurtWildesChristmasNamechange]

@Heaviestdirtyestsoul

Aww! I want snowman pancreas! It looks lovely

😂

[fortheloveofallthings]

I'm having a bit of a tough time at the moment, and this has really put a smile on my face this morning 😊 hope they have a lovely breakfast!

[SanFranBear]

The poster suggested Christmas markets and pantomimes and all the expensive things myself and others can't afford was ok but not a special breakfast. I find it a very privileged and snobby attitude

Agree with this totally, OP. I'd much rather your sweet snowman 🎅

[Smileatthesmallthings]

Well. I think we may be having a Christmas themed pancake snack when DS (4) gets home from school!!!
I was already going to get his tree out of the loft for him to decorate as he's so excited and we've told him no Christmas till December. We usually put everything up gradually throughout the first week (although I do normally have it all down by 28th, and definitely by new year's eve)

And we do a Christmas Eve box too; new PJs, bath bomb, Santa's coming to (insert town here) book, Christmas themed rubber duck and his Christmas plate and cup. Nothing extravagant or that we wouldn't normally have.

[Sceptre86]

I think it is a lovely tradition and the kids obviously need to eat anyway so why not make it that bit more special?

[UndertheCedartree]

@KurtWildesChristmasNamechange

Your breakfast looks lovely! I made star shaped cinnamon toast, it went down very well with the DC! I sat the elves down at the table too. How bad is that

I have to agree with you regarding pantomimes and Christmas markets etc, things some posters see as fine whereas things like elf on the shelf is sneered at. We really can't afford many of the more expensive Christmas activities so we do the things that cost very little but still bring us joy.

Moving an elf around that we've owned for years and will own for years to come, popping some of the small Christmas Day presents in a reusable box to be opened Christmas Eve (I don't know anyone who buys extra presents for theirs!), and your lovely Christmas breakfast that consists of things you'd normally eat just a more festive version! Not much consumerism going on there!

In Germany (where my maternal grandparents come from and we still have family there), children open their stockings on St Nicklaus day, which is December 6th. This is preceded by Krampusnacht festivities on the 5th. So I try and incorporate some of the traditions of my German family, as my parents always did, and I also celebrate Yule on December 21st.

It's a busy month

The more I think about it - it really often seems it is the cheap fun that gets sneered at. Hope your elves enjoyed your delicious sounding breakfast! My DC's dad is Dutch so they get Dutch treats from St.Nicklaas on the 6th.