How to make Christmas special with teens?

[RealHousewivesOfTaunton]

When the DC were little I made sure we did Christmassy walks, Christmas film nights, crafts, saw Father Christmas, went to light trails etc. Now 14yo DS is almost impossible to remove from his room and 12yo DD just wants to watch YouTube and go shopping. A nice walk is their idea of torture.

I feel very un-Christmassy. What do you do with your teens in the run-up to Christmas?

Christmas film on Christmas Eve with wherever food they want? They're perhaps a little young to tempt with a baileys I suppose

A new tradition where you watch the film and each get to open one gift (one not of their choosing so you make sure it's something small)

Could you entice them to watch a Christmas movie (not a shit one!) with nice snack food?

I'm the same, we haven't even decorated this year as we are mid decorating and the place is cluttered enough and DD is going to her dad's, and we open presents at my parents for 'our' Christmas, I generally feel like it may as well be October, I'm hoping my Christmas spirit arrives soon
We go to the theatre roughly once a year apart from December when everyone else goes as DD hates Panto.

But we did some fantastic things when she was little.

I’m just back from a Christmas mini break with mine. They did ask beforehand ‘why exactly are we going to Dublin?’ but they actually really enjoyed themselves. I think sometimes we have to tell them what they’re doing … or yes; they would just stay in their rooms. If I was home I’d insist on going for a walk, maybe baking together, a film with nice snacks …

A mini break is a brilliant idea! Too late for this year but I'll bear it in mind for 2025.

I've booked the local light trail for tomorrow evening, hopefully late enough to escape hordes or toddlers. They will moan about it but might enjoy a hot chocolate at the end.

They might be enticed to watch The Grinch (Jim Carey version) on Monday evening. Probably with an unhealthy selection of offerings food.

We have family over for cheese and nibbles on Christmas Eve. If I'm not feeling Christmassy by then then I'm writing off this one as a bad job.

This year I am doing present pong- beer pong with gifts

So beauty items etc

Hoping that helps

I had to Google that. Sounds fun!

I've wrapped some Boba tea and a Switch game in daft paper and put them under the tree. The DC can open them on Christmas Eve.

Can you do a family party night where you have food they like and some games? Look on Tik Tok for some ideas about games for older kids or get them to research and suggest. Take turns on choosing the music.

Mine are the same age. This is what we have done/plan to do:
-We have been to the local pottery place and painted a decoration each for the tree. Both were surprisingly happy to do it, but helped by the fact that they serve nice hot chocolate while you paint.
-We are booked to see the panto, again happy to go when I promise that we can stop off at the shop en route for them to choose some snacks to take in.
-We are going to Blenheim Palace light trail, allowed to buy food there (came you spot a theme??!)
-We have a family meal out on Christmas Eve (food again) and watch Muppets Christmas Carol.
-We went to Centre Parcs for a weekend a few weeks ago - very Christmassy - so would recommend that if you did consider a mini break next year.
-Both want to make a yule log and gingerbread men. Food again!!

Mine are 15 (DS) and 12 (DD). Now that they're not interested in going to the panto we now book tickets to watch a Christmas Movie at a local cinema with popcorn followed by a fairly light meal at a restaurant (of their choosing).

Both quite enjoy cooking and making mince pies and / or gingerbread is fun.

A theatre visit always goes down well.

Ice skating at an outdoor rink.

I'm blessed as mine performs in panto so she's feeling far more festive than I am. In between crazy show schedule she enjoys a Christmas Market, Xmas film at the cinema, and Xmas shopping and going for dinner with me one night.

Christmas films, with extravagant hot chocolates, Christmas markets, see the lights and window displays in London, baking.

Food is definitely a theme here.

Mine are 18 and 20 now, one of them still loves panto so we go to that every year together. They still like going to the Christmas tree farm to cut down a tree together. They are also happy to go for a wander round the nearest Christmas market, so long as we go at a quiet time (it is one of the big well known ones which gets rammed) so we went last week at 10am on a weekday (it was her morning off college and mine off work, DH and the other one were working but we couldn’t all juggle time off together). Then simple things, there is a baker near the market that sells fresh cheese straws that we only ever buy at Christmas, so we brought those home for everyone to share. Making mince pies. Sometimes a gingerbread house kit. The other DC likes a light trail, so we did that together, it was a small local one but very pretty. Muppets Christmas Carol comes on at the cinema, that’s always good. Or The Nutcracker cinema stream from the Royal Opera House. Or ice skating at one of the open air rinks.

We still do xmas film nights, lights trails and panto! Dc are 16yo and 14yo. We also do a secret santa stocking which is their favourite bit of xmas day (we get my parents involved too) - as they have to do their own thinking, shopping and wrapping they get excited to gift it on the approach to xmas day.

Mine are not quite teens but reluctant now to do the things they loved when they were little

but we will go to Christmas mass

we will go out for a few Christmas drinks to a local bar (that sells smoothies and pizza too)

we went to a local Christmas market (they got churros- they was the highlight)

Ask them do they want to go to a panto though .. now they said ‘we did that before’

Mine are 14-18

this year we have done

• ice skating
• Xmas themed escape room
• curling and hot chocolates at the winter wonderland
• light trail
• xmas film with popcorn
• getting the tree from the Xmas tree farm where they cut it down for you

We decorate the house and tree. DS loves to decorate the house and it looks fab. We eat loads of mince pies and chocolate. We make a list of movies to watch. We have three days of chill time. Stockings. Presents. I’ll put some Christmas songs on Christmas morning - ha ha. This is what we love - family time, no pressure

In terms of going out DS 15 has been into town to see the lights twice with his mates. We might go ice skating and are seeing Christmas Carol. The out bit is secondary for us though. Merry Christmas

Mine are the same age as @ExquisiteDecorations .

We don’t do a huge amount tbh but it feels like enough. They both have good social lives so are out a lot which is lovely to see.

Carols at the local NT place in the cellar in the dark in early December. A Christmas market somewhere.

We open a present a day from the 21st onwards. We always go to the festival of nine lessons service on Christmas Eve followed by drinks and dinner out.

Big family Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

More walks together as we have more time than usual.

I actually love this time of year. We just seem to have more time together.

16, 14 and 12 yo made their own ginger bread houses yesterday. Went shopping to buy sweets (yes, food). We do a family secret santa. Night before Christmas we do a charcuterie and desert board. We do light trails in Jan.

18 year old went out with her friends Christmas shopping yesterday and secret santa also.

food and secret santa seem to be where it is at :-)

I have 2 ds' one is 18 and one is 11. I think the secret is to let them do what they want. We tend to put a Xmas film on, on Xmas Eve with a takeaway as they both prefer to be upstairs playing computer games with their friends, but they aleays come downstairs for a takeaway. So I take advantage of thet lol We always go to the cinema during Xmas week, hoping to get there tomorrow as we all want to see Sonic 3.

DS(16) has just finished his mock GCSEs.
DD(13) plays in a brass band and has her last performance of a pretty gruelling pre Christmas schedule today.

All they want to do is sleep, and I'm happy to let them.

I really agree with this. Follow their lead. DS not mad keen on going out so that is fine. I think taking the pressure off leads to them relaxing and everyone enjoys it (whatever ‘it’ is)