How to handle husband working xmas day

[Stuckinside]

So as the title suggests my husband has to work xmas day - despite his boss refusing to do any of the festive period (another story). I have a 5 and 10 year old and am trying to figure out how to do xmas day on boxing day without them realising, more specifically our older child. They love to track santa on Xmas eve which is going to make it difficult, so I'm open to any suggestions. I was going to add another chocolate into their advent calenders and do another day for the elf.... But I don't know how to ensure the day is seamless.....and don't want my older child to have the magic spoilt. Those who also work xmas day with children, how do you manage it? Thank you

If she thinks her 10 year old believes in Santa there’s already a ton of lying going on

It’s fine. The kids will most likely be up early anyway so he can see them get their gifts and then he’ll be home for dinner. In between just keep them occupied with films, games or maybe even seeing family or friends? (I’ve worked loads of xmases)

What madness, don't pretend anything.

My parents regularly worked christmas day.
They never tried to do it differently.

We opened presents early.
Depending on shifts, lunch may have been earlier or later, we didn't mind. It's just how it was.

Op you can’t do that, that’s awful. Just explain dad has to work, do the pressies before he goes, have a lovely day with the kids and then either Xmas dinner when he gets home or the next day, and make it two days,

My DH has worked the last two Christmas’s, including Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, 12 hour shifts.
I agree with the other posters, but maybe split the presents up a bit, so some early doors, particularly something they would like to play with during the day, then the rest when he gets home.

Depending on what the kids like to eat make Christmas Day about their favourite food, whether that’s pizza, waffles, pasta. For my DD at the moment it would be bacon and halloumi sandwiches! Especially the evening meal, keep that simple. By keeping the evening meal simple you can maximise the time your DH gets to spend with the 5 year old in particular before they crash, without one of you having to manage the timings for a roast.
Then if you both love a roast have that on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day, it will be far more relaxing. If you had it on Christmas Eve, DH could take cold meat sandwiches to work as well, which might go down well if his fellow workers done organise something for the day.

Everyone awake at 6am to open presents and have breakfast together, something fun like pancakes.

Dad goes off to work, you and the boys lounge around eating bacon sandwiches and chocolate all day whilst they play with their new toys and watch Xmas films and then you all eat your Christmas roast in the evening once’s Dads back.

You wont get a date change past the ten year old. Presents before he goes to work, dinner when he gets back. Plenty of people have to work Christmas, why not be honest.

Does your 10 year old still believe? I don’t think you would get away even with fooling the 5 year old on the date.

We did this for years but the last year was when the oldest was 8 and that was pushing it but I'm glad we did. We moved advent calendars, family play along, don't watch live TV. Pick where to go on actual Xmas eve sensibly so you can do something nice but with no chat that it's Xmas eve. Stay in on actual Xmas day and do baking, gingerbread house etc. It won't work at all if your 10 year old has any form of phone.

The year we celebrated a day later and the kids knew that they both said was the worst Xmas they'd had so I actually am going to disagree with others and say if you can pull it off it's worth it.

If you took them away between breaking up from school and Xmas it's easier to throw off the dates for them.

Come off it @Stuckinside that is madness.

You need to get your 10 year old on board with making the day magical for the younger one, not trying to lie to the older!

Get up early for stockings, have a lovely day with the kids playing with their toys and stuffing chocolate and save some presents for Boxing Day when you have your meal (if that’s what works best). There’s absolutely no need to lie about the date.

I would do early morning presents together, let the DC play with their gifts.
Perhaps have grandparents or family over for tea and mince pies early afternoon then get all dressed up for a candlelight Christmas dinner at 6pm when your DH is home.

Boxing Day in your pyjamas playing games, watching movies etc.

Double Christmas?

Follow the countries in Europe that celebrate late on the 24th - most of Scandinavia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, etc. Up early for stockings on the 25th having tracked Santa. Then a Christmas meal on the night of the 25th?

I would explain that some people have to work on Christmas Day. You could keep some presents and open them with your DH on Boxing Day. Make that a family day.

You can’t move it! That will just end up with a lot of stress and tears when he works it out.
One of my parents has worked Christmas Day most years through my life, you just make the best of it. This is the first year it won’t be a consideration as they are retired! However now my partner works shifts and is working Christmas Day this year (and has done for the last few years).
What time does he leave for work? Can you do stockings before that?
Then save Christmas dinner for when he gets home in the evening and you could save some or all of the presents too.
Then in the day have fun with the 3 of you- games, movies, fun food etc.
Or if you have relatives near you would be invited to you could go to theirs in the day?

Or you could move Christmas dinner and main presents and just explain to you children that your moving it because dad is working. Do them
Christmas Eve or Boxing Day and then Christmas Day is just stockings

You can't change the day.

Many people manage this and their children still have a lovely time.

I'd move dinner until Boxing Day and do party food for when Daddy comes homes, and leave some presents for then too.

father Christmas presents early Christmas morning, all other presents and Christmas dinner on Boxing Day. Make sure Father Christmas brings things that will keep them busy on Christmas Day

I wouldnt change it.

Its not ideal but at that age once the presents are opened thats the main excitement over. You can all get up and do presents, or at least the kids ones, before he goes to work. Buffet type stuff for their lunch then dinner once he is home. Followed by games together if thats your thing.

If your 10 year old still believes(?) Cant you just say we are lucky this year as Santa is coming one day early so daddy can be here as he is working on christmas day? That way when he goes to work on christmas day they will have their gifts to play with and it will feel like boxing day.

This is absolutely silly. Just celebrate Christmas. Lots of children only spend Christmas with one parent. You can have a lovely day. Dh will be up early for work so can do stockings and a few presents very early before he leaves. Then you can have a lovely day at home watching Christmas films and playing with toys or go spend the day with family or friends. You can have your Christmas lunch for dinner and open more presents then when Dh is home. Hot chocolate and another Christmas film before bed.

I did have to work once on Christmas (as an emergency, was totally not planned) and we just did Christmas on Boxing Day, but dd was 2.

We had this.
We "phoned father Christmas" to explain and ask if he could please come a different day, we chose the day early. Good ol' santa was happy we could still celebrate as a family and said "no problem".
The kids bought it.

Don't think you can hide the date, so I'd be up at 6 to open gifts as a family, have a lovely day with festive snacks and light lunch, then have Christmas Dinner when husbands home. Can't imagine how else to include him in the big ticket options of Xmas day.

One of you take them out on Christmas Eve for a bit while the other stays at home laying out the presents, and when you get home ‘oh wow, Father Christmas knows Daddy’s at work tomorrow so he’s arranged a very special early delivery, aren’t we lucky?’. Presents that night and then a relaxed day playing with their new things on the 25th.

It is what it is OP so make the best of it and don’t be maudlin about it in front of the DC. Have breakfast together Christmas morning before he heads to work as the DC will awake crazy early anyway to see what Santa has brought and they can chill out for the day with their new toys. You can have dinner ready then when DH comes home and settle down together for the evening. It will actually be a lovely stress free day if you stay at home and if you have to pop out to visit other family members or friends you won’t be under time pressure as you will be eating late. At least it’s not a 12 hour shift so he will get home to have the evening with you. Honestly OP I wouldn’t make a big thing of it