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Christmas

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Original poster

Anyone not seeing family over Christmas?

38 replies

MeowMeowPowerRangers · 14/10/2022 19:36

This year unfortunately it will just be us and MIL. DHs sister and family can't get up to visit as they usually do.
Unfortunately can't visit my own family as MIL will be left on her own.

Meaning my DC won't see any of their cousins or other kids over the hoildays which they love at Christmas. Sad

Any ideas how to make it special for them regardless? DS is 11 and isn't into Santa and pantos anymore and ds is 6.

OP posts:
mam0918 · 14/10/2022 20:25

We always have xmas just us, its perfect and you might find you love it.

My DH family use to do 1 year just them then 1 year with aunts/uncles/cousins and so on... he says hated the years he got stuck with cousins, he just wanted to play with his own stuff at home not go to others house and have to entertain other kids (who where different ages and into different things).

the80sweregreat · 14/10/2022 20:27

A Family free Christmas
Bring it on !.. 😂

PurplRainDancer · 14/10/2022 20:29

Can you not take your MIL with you?

BobbysGirly · 14/10/2022 20:31

A Family free Christmas
Bring it on

^^ Seconded

doitwithlove · 14/10/2022 20:34

Just the two of us here. I am working on Christmas Day.

itsjustnotok · 14/10/2022 20:34

We work back to back in A&E so one of us works Christmas and the other new year. We don’t live near family and there is always a ban on taking leave. We have worked like this for 10years. We make do by celebrating a little late or early depending on what days of we can get together. Don’t overthink it. You can have a lovely family Christmas without the family being packed in.

Original poster
MeowMeowPowerRangers · 14/10/2022 20:35

PurplRainDancer · 14/10/2022 20:29

Can you not take your MIL with you?

No. Unfortunately she can't travel and my parents don't have the space.

It is nice a nearly family free day, but it's the whole of the Christmas hoildays we won't see anyone (my family live 6 hours away) and it makes me a bit sad!

OP posts:
Cinnamonandcoal · 14/10/2022 20:40

This is us this year as the family are going away.
Probably lots of friends too as they will be leaving London to go to their families. Need to think of some stuff to do!

Realityloom · 14/10/2022 20:46

Can't you meet up earlier? Christmas is just a date but you could do something earlier like the week before.

Devo1818 · 14/10/2022 20:51

We prefer it that way tbh. Keep it as the 4 of us as much as possible (DC 6 and 4)

Shecrazy · 14/10/2022 20:53

BobbysGirly · 14/10/2022 20:31

A Family free Christmas
Bring it on

^^ Seconded

Same! I can only dream of such a thing!

ItsNotReallyChaos · 14/10/2022 21:02

DD and I are about to have our first ever Christmas just the two of us. I've planned it this way and we're both really looking forward to it!

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 14/10/2022 21:25

I haven't seen any of my family at Christmas for at least 15 years. I haven't had any of the angst or expense that an awful lot of people on here seem to have. I don't like Christmas and don't get why people get so bent out of out shape about it 🤷‍♀️

Having said that. If you want to go, just go! Let MIL sort herself out or if she can't manage that why not take her with you? Your children shouldn't miss out because of MIL.

Openmouthinsertfood · 14/10/2022 21:37

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 14/10/2022 21:25

I haven't seen any of my family at Christmas for at least 15 years. I haven't had any of the angst or expense that an awful lot of people on here seem to have. I don't like Christmas and don't get why people get so bent out of out shape about it 🤷‍♀️

Having said that. If you want to go, just go! Let MIL sort herself out or if she can't manage that why not take her with you? Your children shouldn't miss out because of MIL.

Genuine question, why are you on the Christmas boards if you hate Christmas? Not being arsey, just wondered! :)

Moro93 · 14/10/2022 22:02

It's mostly just me, DH and 2 kids at Christmas. Apart from some family members pop in for a visit and we occasionally visit others to exchange gifts. However, my mum passed away this year and I would like to avoid seeing anyone outside of the 4 of us on Christmas day. I know of someone in particular who won't be happy as she loves giving the kids their presents, but I don't really think it's unreasonable to ask them to wait until Boxing day?

I don't know where you live OP but a lot of places do Christmas events. We go to a local community centres Christmas fayre and the kids enjoy it, roasting marshmallows, tombola, stalls selling books, candles etc. Then there's things like light trails, theme parks and zoos do events. We got a Labrador puppy this year so will enjoy going on some wintery walks with her, but you could do this even without a dog.
Play some games, have Christmas movie nights, make gingerbread houses and decorate them together, buy a large Lego set you can all build.
There is lots of stuff you could do that the kids would love and I'm sure you'll all have a great Christmas regardless. Do plenty of video calls with family!

TheHouseonHauntedHill · 14/10/2022 22:53

We don't have any family to see, DC sadly don't have cousin's.

We survive!

Make gingerbread house, show)take away, silly games...

cherubicbeanbag · 14/10/2022 23:02

Dh and I don't have any family. So it's just me him and dd. I love it so much. I go so overboard with food and decorations to compensate but I do genuinely love it. I hope you enjoy yours whatever you end up doing.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 15/10/2022 08:43

Dh and I. Thought I’d really mind it the first COVID time, but it was fine.
One dd and family off to in-laws for the first time.
Other dd off to Dbro’s place in France with him and other family she rarely sees.

Only thing I will miss is Gdcs’ excitement over Father Christmas - going outside well after they’re in bed, scattering a few chewed bits of carrot so we can say in the morning, ‘Goodness, what a mess - but at least they didn’t poo in the garden.’ 🙂
We’ll see them all soon before anyway.

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 15/10/2022 08:46

@Openmouthinsertfood The OPs question popped up on the 'active' feed, so I answered her question. I didn't even notice which board the post was on. I can assure you I never intentionally go onto the Christmas board 😉

Whiterose23 · 15/10/2022 08:51

Can you go and see family around Christmas. We live four hours from both sets of parents. We usually see my family before Christmas and my husbands for new year. I like it as it takes the pressure off and we get to do our own traditions. Our children love it as they get 3 celebrations.

lollipoprainbow · 15/10/2022 08:55

We used to have big family Christmases but have lost a lot of people in last few years including my mum 2 weeks ago so we now have a very small ones, me, dd and her dad.

FourChimneys · 15/10/2022 09:04

Another one here because it is on Active. Since we stopped doing Christmas to any extent, I no longer care whether we see family or not. It's a bank holiday, we see them if it's convenient, see them another time if not. My siblings and I live hundred of miles apart. We decided early on that dragging small children round the country in the depths of winter was daft. We used to have a big gathering in the summer which all the now-adult DC look back on fondly.

The problem is often due to making too much of Christmas imo.

Openmouthinsertfood · 15/10/2022 11:48

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 15/10/2022 08:46

@Openmouthinsertfood The OPs question popped up on the 'active' feed, so I answered her question. I didn't even notice which board the post was on. I can assure you I never intentionally go onto the Christmas board 😉

Ok, thanks. :)

GettingStuffed · 15/10/2022 12:03

I'm having problems fitting it in as I'll be caring for DH following a heart op and once he's on the mend I'll be going down to MiL's to give DD and DSiL a break from caring from MiL. DD and I normally go to see my dad for the weekend and we'll have a meal with DSis. I'm trying to work out whether I can manage a weekend or will it just be a day trip

Ihavedogs · 15/10/2022 12:10

Coming from a very small family, we felt that we did have family if my mother spent it with us. But given the distances involved, we spent at least every other Christmas with just the three of us. Christmas with the three of us was in many ways no different than it was if we had my mother.

DD is now an adult with a child of her own and due to covid restrictions and a CEV husband, the last two years have been just the two of us. We still made it special and it wasn’t that much different to when we had company other than we plated dinner in the kitchen. We did however utilise FaceTime and were able to share aspects of the day despite not being together. Friends also used FaceTime/Zoom etc and even played games together over it. Perhaps something like that would help bridge the gap?

Christmas is what you choose to make it.