Can't help feeling Christmas is already ruined by late break up

[ChristmasTidyings]

Anyone else feel the same? DC break up tomorrow lunch time. They generally need a couple of days to recover at the end of time so that's Christmas with exhausted, grouchy and over-excited children. Meaning everyone will be in a bad mood including DH who will be annoyed with their behaviour. Plus we have no time to do nice Christmas stuff like baking or making gifts for the GP's or pottering around town for the day. DD even had 1.5 hours of homework set yesterday to hand in today. The DC are exhausted and only 13 of DD's class were in yesterday, the rest are "ill".

I mean, most people are in work until Fri 23rd, why do you think you're so special?

On the list of things that 'ruin' Christmas, breaking up late is far, far down the list.

Shop workers will be working until the 24th, having done loads and loads of overtime this week. Imagine having to organise Christmas on mininmum wage with no hours free at all.

Sorry thats in reply to @StopStartStop

'Christmas is ruined'?

Get a grip

Imagine what it's like for those who have to work up to and through Christmas with no 36 hours in hand.

Most people in other jobs will have to work up until Christmas eve. Many have to work over Christmas. Not sure I can summon up sympathy just for teachers tbh.

We broke up last week and the kids were definitely ready for it although it was quite a short term. There were so many bugs going round at the end of term so hopefully they'll have had time for a bit of a circuit breaker before seeing all their relatives at Christmas

Gosh I thought the opposite, mine broke up last week and they have really struggled with their mood all week, over excited for Christmas and bored of waiting. I guess there is pros and cons to both, this week before Christmas is always a bit stressful.

Overstimulation is a thing you know, especially with young kids. If your child is an introvert, even the fun things at school can be tiring (even though they are still enjoyed). Children are given school holidays for a reason.

Seems fair enough. They have christmas eve to chill.

The daftest one I've seen was a customer posting on Tesco's Twitter last year, or the year before, with a photo of a mouldy bag of sprouts. Their Tweet went WTTE:

"The sprouts are mouldy, Christmas is ruined. The kids are crying."

I think I'll save my sympathy for shift workers in front line services. Anyone I know working in the NHS would be fucking delighted with finishing work 36 hours before Christmas.

We broke up last week and it seems a bit pointless having all of this time off before Christmas and then having to go back when we should still be lazing around eating the Christmas chocolates and watching films.

Shall we drink at the Bar Humbug together?

Snap. It's a hard week to fill

Mine break up end of the day on 23rd. It’s horrible. No time to do nice stuff, the Christmas prep is the special bit, it’s all been running around and parties and Carol services in school which my kids don’t enjoy.

Ignore the sarky posters, my kids are absolutely shattered and grumpy as anything, totally peopled out and needing down time before the excitement, and we have also missed out on all the happy time.

Why are they exhausted? Do you not have an adequate bedtime routine? Seems really bizarre.

Dd breaks up tomorrow. She's knackered from a fortnight of Xmas events and performances in and out of school. I finished Tuesday and am loving these childfree days more than I can say. I should be prepping for Jan, but my head's gone.

I think the break up depends on how old your kids are too. Think I did a23rd when kids were about 6or so and it did feel like we missed out on the build up. I've broken up all dates from 16th to 23rd and i reckon the sweet spot is around the 21st. Time to recover and get your shit together, but not too long to wait if you're little.

My kids broke up on friday and my god it's been a long week!

I'm still working and they are just wasting their time off. I'd rather a late break up and then extra time after xmas to recover from the festivities as this year is a mad one with lots of family visiting.

I think next year the break up the friday before xmas and that'll be much better.

We broke up on Friday last week after a 7 week term, unprecedent staff and student illness and a surprise Ofsted visit for the last two days of term. I've needed this week to recover!

God knows why people are pretending that kids aren’t tired and grumpy by the end of term, particularly this term. Mine have a full day in school tomorrow and it’s not ideal. Of course Christmas isn’t ruined, but they will be grumpier than they’d have been with more time before. Every parent I’ve spoken to has agreed with it being a rubbish day to break up, it’s only Mumsnet people being deliberately arsey that disagree.

I wish mine were in school this week, they broke up last week (half day Friday) and it’s felt like it’s been about a month. The weather is crap and they’re hyped up. There isn’t much to do, everywhere is rammed and just unpleasant. I know it’s a bit late finishing tomorrow, but honestly the week before Christmas is always intense for children.

It's been utterly dreadful tbh and I'm usually very optimistic. My kids are absolutely exhausted and my son is really really struggling. I might keep him off tomorrow because he's not coping and Saturday is his birthday anyway, so poor thing is so excited he can't manage.

I miss that week of craft and baking, prepping together. I've always said the build up is the best bit.

I also work in a SEND school. I'm off now thank fuck, but keeping kids with behavioural issues calm this close to Christmas has had me considering handing my notice in tbh. I'm covered in bruises, I'm an emotional wreck, my kids are emotional wrecks. It's shit.

It's even worse for the teachers. Imagine having to sort Christmas when you're exhausted and have only 36 hours in hand.

Seriously? I'm a teacher and am normally very indignant at posters who claim that 'teachers think they have it harder than any other job', but this is taking the piss - however late schools break up for Christmas, we teachers still have more time than most working adults!

This is such an interesting insight into the parts of Christmas people prefer!

I love the run up. Advent, plays, Carol services, baking, dropping gifts and cards round to friends, making and decorating and having people round before they all decamp to various places. After Christmas always feels quite flat to me as the lovely anticipation is gone. Between Christmas and New Year is good for doing the puzzles, playing the games and whatever but it's nowhere near as nice and a week is more than enough. I generally take a few days' leave in the week before Christmas and work between Christmas and New Year if I don't have enough leave to cover both. And I love all the things I do with the kids in the run up, and they get really into it.

Others clearly aren't that into the run up and much prefer the post-Christmas time, which I'd happily sacrifice for more time before Christmas.

Suspect neither is right or wrong, just different preferences and approaches and family traditions. My kids broke up last week; I'd be disappointed if they were breaking up with only a few days to go.