8 days to go and we haven't done anything Christmassy

[Loafbeginsat60]

Said my dd(11) tonight

Now I feel terrible! She went to the panto with school and last weekend was her village Xmas party.

But we live really rurally so there isn't anything to do or lights to drive and see. No carol concerts or grottos unless we do a 100 mile round trip after school 😬

So I need to think of some things to do with her and her brother (14) before Friday!

We decorated the tree last weekend.

I hate the thought that she's not feeling Christmassy - help!

mn must be the only place in the world populated by people who lived”very rurally” yet feel left out when there’s not all the facilities of a big city very nearby 🙄

• bake a Christmas cake / Yule log
• Christmas crafts
• local church carol service
• volunteering at a local charity
• Christmas movie night

i dunno. Why haven’t you organised anything??

What do you normally do to get in the Xmas mood? Could you do some Xmas baking (gingerbread or cinnamon biscuits) or arts and crafts type things? My DS is younger but we made Xmas trees out of cardboard and stuck sequins on and made paper snowflakes to stick on windows. All created with Xmas songs blaring in the background!

We don't tend to do a lot either. How about letting her choose a Christmas Film to watch tomorrow? You could have Hot Chocolate if she likes it. Would she be up for baking some Mince Pies another evening?

100 miles?! Tongue in cheek I presume...

Thr first post is a bit harsh but surely there's something within a 50 mile radius of your home?
Wildlife park Xmas display? Heritage railway santa train? Garden centre Xmas experience? Craft fair/Market? Lights switch on?

100 miles 🙄

100 miles! WTF do you live?

at 11 and 14 it’s trickier as too old for santa etc

but surely you can watch movie, bake, walk around to see other houses xmas lights, invite friends round for xmas pj party, cinema, ice skating

i’m not sure i know of hardly anywhere that rural and 25 miles each way is not that big deal for day out

oh read as 50 mile trip !

even rural wales or scotland surely there’s more within travel distance

Sounds like she has done plenty to be honest, panto, party and decorated Xmas 🎄.

2 more things than my children have done!!

Yes it was harsh @Elmo230885 but fgs if you live that rurally you surely know you can’t just nip somewhere “Christmassy” without planning or booking.

I live in SE England in a city and i can’t do that 🤷‍♀️

Christmas movies with snacks?

Christmas crafts? We like the diamond dotz Christmas decorations/ key chains.

Christmas jigsaw.

Ginger bread house kit?

Nothing on at the church or school? We have carols outside ours on Friday night.

How far is your nearest cinema? I'm pretty rural too but we have a community one in nearest town and they are showing old Christmas films all weekend for a couple of quid per person.

We don't attend any organised festivities. We never have. Just seems like an excuse to over charge people for very indifferent food and entertainment.

there was nothing like this when myself and my contemporaries were children, I don't feel as if we have missed out tragically. Christmas now just seems to be a whole season of things to buy and "experiences" to purchase at vast cost rather than one or two days where the family gets together to celebrate, eat a nice dinner and exchange some presents.

😂 at all the people telling me I don't live miles away from things. I love where I live and definitely not complaining about lack of things to do!

We are in the north highlands on a farm. So the cinema is 48 miles away. The wildlife park is about 80, big garden centre and proper shops are also 48 miles

The lights switch on down in the village we went to: forgot about that. It was lovely and we decorated our tractor.

Maybe she has done more than she thinks but it made me feel sad when she said it.

Baking and Xmas

film - check, will defo do that. They are too old to go and see Santa for sure. There aren't any Xmas lights to go and see that I can think of. People here don't really decorate like that - Altho I do like peeking at their Xmas trees in the window when we drive past!

Sorry wee exaggeration - it's 96 mile round trip to cinema and ice rink!

After she finishes school she has something on every night - I think that's partly why we haven't done much. And then weekends get taken up with farm work.

I expect it's just her age. It's hard to feel Christmassy when you've grown out of the magic of Santa. I wouldn't worry too much about trying to fill in the time with amazing things. Watch some Christmas films together and listen to some Christmas music.

Gingerbread house - great idea.

I'll see if I can get a kit. I have to go to town for work tomorrow

You don’t have to go far to feel Christmassy!

Is there a local church with a carol service?

Bake mince pies, get snuggled up on the sofa and watch a Christmas film, put Christmas songs on the Alexa, get wrapped up and go for a nice wintery walk and make hot chocolate when you’re back. It’s the little things.

To be fair, she might be coming to an age where you can explain you've got the perfect Christmas romcom setting at home 🤣 city girl goes to the wrong highlands meets farmer boy etc!

Most rural areas have at least a church.

They do at a minimum services with Christmas songs, many also do community carol concerts or Christmas tree decoration events etc.

Usually free as well

Thank you, that could be it. I was actually thinking this year it's been quite nice and chill and then 💥 she says that!

I think we might bake something and take it to the neighbours with a card

That might get her in the mood a bit more

She went to the panto with school and last weekend was her village Xmas party.

Sounds a bit like negging, please don't respond by upping your game.

There is a very high chance that it's her age. I remember saying things at that age to 'try them out'. It was my early days of having my own opinion separate from my DMs.

Rushing to fix this is not a great dynamic to set up. Much better enlist her help to think of things together (with you initially doing most of the heavy lifting) but it's good to get her into the habit of finding solutions rather than just problems.

Christmas baking

Make some decorations

Christmas Movie night

Christmas chocolate treasure hunt (we just hide chocolate coins and it keeps DS entertained for a while!)

The local church carol concert is at 11am on Friday - so her school goes

I work in another school so I'll be taking my class (different church tho)

It's a real shame we can't go together

But she has done 3 or 4 things already
Ask her to do a list for next 8 days eg

1. Xmas mo vie

2 bake something 3 decorate something or make a decoration Etc